Everything's Coming Up Salvatore: An Original Problem
by HistoryGirl22
Summary: Sequel to "Everything's Coming Up Salvatore". Set in Season 3. Serafina Salvatore has spent the better part of a century keeping the two sides of her family as separate as possible. But, now she can't help but play both sides of a very dangerous game, as her Ripper father and Hybrid great-uncle start butting heads. Rated T, just in case! Please Read and Review!
1. Salvatore Private Investigators

"He's in Tennessee!"

Sera walked up to the map that had been set up in her uncle's bedroom and put a pin it. It had been a couple of months since Stefan had been forced to go on the road with Klaus and Sera had been using magic to track them ever since. The amount of bodies they left in their wake helped to confirm that the magic was working, but Sera still had yet to actually speak to or see her father. Stefan and Klaus seemed to slip out of their grasp every time Sera pinpointed their location. But, that didn't stop her from continuing to figure out where they were.

She turned and looked at her cousin. "I love having magic."

Xavier almost laughed. "That's the first time I've heard you say that in a while," he commented. "What's the occasion?"

"Having magic means that I can track Dad and Klaus is none the wiser," Sera said. "I know exactly where they are at any given moment."

"I'm sure that Klaus knows that you are tracking them," Xavier said. "He's not stupid."

"True," Sera agreed. "But, if he did, why hasn't he tried to stop me?" They both turned when Damon walked in the room. "Found Dad. Again. This time he's in Tennessee."

"You have an address for me?" Damon asked.

"Of course," Sera said, handing her uncle a piece of paper. "When do we leave?"

"We?" Damon said. He looked at his son, who shrugged.

"Well, yeah," Sera said. "I'm going with you."

"No, you're not," Damon said. He held his hand up before his niece had a chance to complain. "Sera, we've had this discussion. Multiple times. Stefan wouldn't want you to see him like this and I highly doubt you're Klaus's favorite person right now. I'm not going to let you walk into the Lion's Den."

"Technically, he's a wolf," Xavier chimed in.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said. "My point is, Xavier and I will go and check this out. You stay here."

"Absolutely not!" Sera said. "You'll need me if things get bad."

"We can handle it," Damon said. "I promise."

"I hate this, you know," Sera said, as Xavier stood.

"Yeah, I do," Damon replied. "But, I do it for your own good."

Sera crossed her arms as she watched her uncle and cousin leave the room. "You guys will call if you need me, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," came Damon's reply.

Sera rolled her eyes as she looked back at the map where they had been tracking Stefan. "We're going to bring you home, Dad," she whispered. "I promise."

* * *

Bloody. Gruesome. Downright nauseating. All the marks of a Ripper killing spree.

Too bad the Ripper was his uncle.

Xavier stepped carefully around the bodies that had been set up on the couch and left behind by Stefan's latest kill. He, Damon, and Alaric had driven to the address Sera had given them to investigate her findings and see if maybe, just maybe, they could find Stefan too. But, as to be expected, Stefan and Klaus were long gone.

As Damon explained Stefan's Ripper behavior to Alaric, Xavier couldn't take his eyes off of the poor women who had been killed by his uncle. What truly horrible deaths they suffered. Xavier knew that his uncle had spent years trying to curb his Ripper tendencies and he knew that Sera had been a key factor many times in getting Stefan back on track. But, at the same time, he understood why his father didn't want Sera to come with them. It was absolutely horrific.

Damon left the room and came back with a tank full of gas. Alaric turned to Xavier as Damon started spreading the gas all over the bodies. "What is he doing?"

"Getting rid of the bodies," Xavier explained. "That way, no one will know that this was a vampire's doing, let alone Uncle Stefan's."

"Ah," Alaric said. "Lovely."

Xavier took a step back to get out of his father's way and they heard the floor creak. He and Alaric looked at each other before pulling back the rug and finding a trap door. "Dad, come look at this."

Damon put the tank down and went over to Alaric and Xavier. The three of them crouched down as Alaric opened the door. "Well, what do you know?"** Damon said, as they looked at the hidden space's content. "Werewolves."**

"That can't be a coincidence," Xavier said, as they closed the trap door and stood.

"No, it certainly can't," Damon agreed. He lit a match and threw it on the bodies, which went up in flames within seconds. "Come on, let's get out of here. We have a party to get to."

* * *

Setting up for Elena's birthday party was the furthest thing from Sera's mind. So, when Caroline, Tyler and Elena all showed up with party decorations, it took Sera a moment to remember what they were there for.

"Right, the party," Sera said. She stepped aside to let them in. "Come in."

"Don't tell me that you forgot about us," Tyler commented as the three of them entered the Boarding House.

"Yeah, maybe a little bit," Sera admitted with a smile. Considering the fact that this was the most that she had ever spoken to Tyler Lockwood, it was understandable that she would kind of forget about him.

Her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She looked at the name on the screen and her heart started beating a little faster. "You guys go ahead and get started. I'll be there in a minute."

Sera turned and headed to the furthest part of the house, where she was sure that Caroline's Vampire Hearing wouldn't be able to pick up on the conversation she was about to have. "Salvatore Private Investigators. You lose them, we can track them. How can I help you?"

 _"I might have known that you would do something like this. Stop."_

"Whatever do you mean, Klaus?" Sera said, not even pretending to sound innocent.

 _"I know you're tracking us. One of my spies just spotted your uncle and cousin at a local farm house where we left behind some rather unfortunate ladies. I'll say it again. Stop."_

"Or, what?" Sera asked. "You already have my father."

 _"But, I don't have your uncle and cousin. If you don't stop tracking Stefan, I fear that they will pay for your crime."_

"My crime?" Sera said, incredulously. "You're the one who's committing crimes! Harm my uncle and cousin and you will be sorry that I failed to kill you at the ritual."

 _"Haven't we already had this conversation, Love? You can't kill me. Not now."_

"Don't underestimate me, Klaus," Sera warned. "I know your secrets, remember?" The silence on the other end of the line signified that he did. "The only reason why you are still currently drawing breath is because I want my father returned to me, unharmed. Let him come home and we can forget that this ever happened."

 _"Such powerful words. It's too bad that you won't be able to act on them. I know you, Serafina, you are too much like Elijah and Celia for your own good. You say that you'll let bygones be bygones, but how can I trust that you won't turn your back and do the opposite once you get what you want?"_

"You have to trust me," Sera said. "You did once. You can do it again."

 _"Trust? How can I trust you after what you did to me?"_

"I won't stop tracking my father, Klaus," Sera said. "Either trust me or continue to be hunted, like the dog you are."

 _"I had a feeling you might say that, Love. And, while I do admire your courage, I will warn you again. Stop tracking him or you will answer to me. Personally."_

"I'm quivering in my boots."

 _"Until next time, then."_

Klaus ended the conversation and Sera closed her eyes in frustration. She quickly typed out a text to her cousin. _Klaus knows you're in Tennessee. Get home ASAP!_

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, Sera tried to calm her nerves before heading back out to where the others were preparing for Elena's birthday party.

* * *

"Klaus actually called you?"

Sera nodded, as she placed a few different outfits on her bed for the party later that night. Damon and Xavier had returned home just in time to get themselves ready for Elena's party. "It seriously felt like it was a kidnapper-calling-for-a-ransom situation," she replied to her uncle's question. "He told me to stop tracking Dad."

"He has to know that we're not going to stop," Xavier said.

"I told him that and that's when he threatened the two of you," Sera said. She turned to her uncle and cousin and crossed her arms. "The next time you go after Dad, you're going to have to take me with you."

"I suppose," Damon reluctantly agreed. "I still don't like it, though."

"You don't have to like it, you just have to do it," Sera said. "So, how bad was it?"

"Pretty bad," Xavier said. "Classic Ripper. Mutilated bodies meticulously put back together. We burned the house down so no one would find them."

"Wonderful," Sera said, sarcastically. "I guess the only question now is whether or not he's flipped his switch."

"If he has flipped his switch," Damon said. "Can you get him to flip it back?"

Sera nodded. "I've done it before," she said. "I can do it again."

"Good," Damon said, with a nod. "Now, we need to get ready for this party before all of Caroline's guests arrive."

"Do I seriously have to go?" Sera asked. "I'm really not in the party mood."

"I am," Xavier said. "After what I saw today, I need something to make those images fade away."

"This will be good for you, Sera," Damon said. "You need a night to just let everything go. Stefan wouldn't want you to stop living your life because of something like this."

"You're talking as if he's dead," Sera said.

Damon gave her a look. "You know I'm right," he said. "Take a page out of your cousin's book. Eat, drink, and be merry. Just give yourself this one night to forget and then you can go back to your regularly scheduled worrying tomorrow."

Sera sighed. "I guess you're right," she said. "I can't even remember the last time the Boarding House had a party of this magnitude."

"Elena said she wanted something small," Xavier said.

Now, it was Sera's turn to give her cousin a look. "Caroline is the one planning it," she reminded him. "I haven't known her long, but I do know that this isn't going to be small."

"She's right," Damon said. "This is going to be huge."

* * *

The Boarding House was absolutely, positively packed with people.

Sera needed fresh air. There were too many people in practically every corner of her home and she needed to get away from the crowd. While she was having a fairly good time at the party, there was only so much that she could take.

She found herself in the backyard of the Boarding House. A place that was, miraculously, not filled with people. With the sounds of the party muffled behind her, Sera crossed her arms and stared up at the starry sky. A light breeze blew, causing a chill to run down her spine. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in the peace and relative quiet, when she heard a familiar voice come up behind her.

"Alright, what's going on with you?"

Sera looked up to find Caroline taking a seat next to her. "What do you mean?"

"You've been acting strange since you got that phone call earlier," Caroline said. "Who was it from?"

"No one," Sera said. "It was nothing."

"It was not nothing," Caroline said. "I may not have known you long, but I know when you're upset. What happened?"

Sera sighed. "Just talked to my uncle, that's all."

"Damon?"

Sera shook her head. "No, my other uncle."

"Ah," Caroline said. "Klaus." Sera nodded and Caroline continued. "What did he say?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," Sera said. "He just wants me to stop tracking Stefan."

"You found Stefan?"

"Of course I did," Sera snapped. She rolled her eyes at her response. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that."

"No, that's fine," Caroline assured her. "I can't even imagine what you must be going through. Just…you know that you can talk to me, right?"

Sera managed a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I do," she said. "Thanks. You know you can talk to me too, right? About whatever. Boys, relationships, the ups and downs of life. I have had multiple years of experience, you know."

Caroline laughed. "Yeah, I do," she said. "I'll take you up on that."

Sera smiled. "Good."

Caroline smiled and gave her friend a hug. "I know things majorly suck right now," she said. "But, try to have some fun, ok? It is a party, after all."

Sera laughed. "Yeah, I will," she said. "I promise." Caroline stood and turned to leave. "Hey, Caroline?" She stopped and turned back to Sera. "Just, don't tell Elena about me finding Stefan, alright? We're kind of keeping it on the down low until we can actually maybe talk to him or something. Damon doesn't want her to get her hopes up."

Caroline seemed hesitant. "I don't know, Sera," she said. "Elena deserves to know…"

"I'm Stefan's daughter," Sera interrupted. "If anyone actually deserves to know where he is, it's me. And, until we feel the time is right, we're keeping his whereabouts a secret. I hate to put you into this position, but I would really appreciate if you could just keep this from Elena for a bit, alright?"

Caroline nodded. "Sure," she said. "No problem."

Sera watched as Caroline headed back into the party and then turned to stare out at the forest behind the Boarding House. She closed her eyes once more, until she got the distinct feeling that she was being watched.

Her eyes snapped open, scanning the backyard for any sign of person or animal. Though she couldn't find anything, the feeling that she was being watched didn't go away. Then, a realization - or, rather, a feeling of hope - dawned on her.

"Dad?" She called out into the darkness. "Dad, is that you?"

She knew that she could use her magic to determine whether or not Stefan was hiding himself in the shadows. But, at the same time, she knew that he was hiding for a reason. Whether or not she liked it or agreed with it, there was a reason why Stefan had been "missing" for the last two months. So, she decided not to push the matter. Not yet anyway.

"Dad, if you're out there, I'm not going to force you to appear to me," Sera said. "But, you have to know...I miss you. I miss you and I love you…and I won't stop fighting until you can come home again. No matter what Klaus threatens me with."

Sera looked out into the trees and could have sworn she saw her father's face hidden amongst the darkness. The feeling that she was being watched lingered for a moment or two longer before it disappeared completely and whoever had been watching her had left. Sera sighed and turned to head back into the party, feeling in her heart of hearts that her father had come back, even temporarily, to check on her.

He wasn't lost yet. Sera had to make sure that it stayed that way.

* * *

With the party still in full swing, Sera made the decision to call it an early night and head up to her room. Xavier seemed to be having the time of his life, dancing with at least three girls at the same time. He tried to get Sera to join him, but she just smiled and shook her head. Trudging up the stairs, passing one too many couples in the midst of drunken make-out sessions, Sera reminded herself that they would all be gone tomorrow and that tomorrow was only a dream away.

"You know!"

Sera winced when she heard Elena's voice and stopped just in front of her bedroom door. "Know what?"

"Where Stefan is," Elena continued. Sera turned and saw that Elena was really struggling not to cry. "You've known this whole time. Damon just told me that you've been tracking him."

"It's an easy thing to do when you're a witch," Sera said.

Elena started shaking her head. "How could you have kept this from me?" She asked. "I thought that we were friends."

"Friends don't tell each other everything."

"You know how much I have been hurting since he left," Elena said. "Why wouldn't you tell me where he was?"

"Because, knowing you, you would do something stupid like try and go after him!"

Elena was shocked into silence. Sera rolled her eyes and continued. "Ever since I got back to Mystic Falls, it's been one thing after another and all of these things seem to be revolving around you," she said. "And, you know something? That may not be your fault, you certainly didn't ask for it, but it sucks at the same time. Because I have spent literally one night alone with my father, where it was just him and me hanging out, and that was only because I was recuperating from being stabbed by Klaus. Every other moment has been about protecting you. So, no, I didn't tell you that I had been tracking him because we need to worry about getting him home safe and not worry about your protection."

Elena looked to the ground for a moment and back at Sera. "I didn't know you felt that way."

Sera ran her hands through her hair. "It's not you, Elena, it's the situation," she said. "I'm mad, I'm frustrated, I'm scared about what Klaus is forcing my dad to do, and I just really don't need to worry about you too, on top of everything else."

"I get it," Elena said, looking at her hands.

Sera shook her head. "I know, I'm a bitch," she said. "You probably hate me now. "

Now, Elena shook her head. "I don't hate you," she said. "I just…I want to be kept in the loop about things like this."

"I guess there's no keeping this from you anymore," Sera said. "Just…brace yourself for what may happen next." Her Vampire Hearing picked up on noises coming from Stefan's room. "It's not going to be pretty."

Walking past Elena and heading to her father's bedroom, Sera walked carefully and quietly until she reached the open door and peered inside. Damon was ransacking the room, throwing things left and right. Sera walked in and placed a hand on her uncle's shoulder, stopping him instantly. Damon turned, saw his niece, and automatically brought her into his embrace.

She had no idea what prompted this outburst, or what prompted Damon to tell Elena that they had been tracking Stefan, but at the moment none of that mattered. What mattered was that Stefan was still out there, with Klaus, and not at home with his family.

* * *

 **For those that don't know, this is the second installment in the ECUS series. The first one is called "Everything's Coming Up Salvatore" and is set during Season 2. You may want to read that one before reading this one, because that story introduces the two OCs and tells a bit of their backstories, as well as introduces how the OCs are connected to the Canon characters, etc. But, here are the three main things you need to know:**

 **1\. Sera and Xavier are Stefan and Damon's children (respectively). They were both born before Stefan and Damon became vampires.**

 **2\. Sera is Elijah's granddaughter. Her mother, Celia (another OC), was his daughter.**

 **3\. Sera is a witch-vampire hybrid (But, NOT a siphoner! An actual witch!). She inherited her magic from her mother, who was a very powerful witch herself.**

 **I'm really looking forward to this story because I can't wait to play around with Sera's relationship with her Mikaelson family and seeing how she behaves around them. I feel like this one is going to be a lot of fun!**

 **Just like in the first story, if you see a quote with two stars next to it (**), it means that the quote is taken directly from the show. Also, I will try and update this once a week, but I make no promises, only that I will certainly try!**

 **I hope you have enjoyed this first chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	2. A Very Scenic Hybrid Hike

"So, remember when I told you that I told Elena to not get involved and that I didn't need to worry about her on top of worrying about Dad?"

Xavier nodded, but didn't look up from the comic book he was reading. "Yup."

"Well, guess who's now going to Tennessee."

This caused Xavier to pull his gaze away from his comic and look at his cousin. "You're joking."

"Nope," Sera replied. "I just got a call from Alaric. Apparently, Elena was hitting Tyler up for information at the Grille today about werewolves and, now, she wants to go and find their pack in Tennessee. And, I have to go with them, because neither one of them is adequately prepared to take on a pack of wolves on the full moon, not to mention Dad or Klaus."

"But, I'm guessing that Elena doesn't know that Alaric called you."

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Sera exclaimed. "I have to meet them in like half an hour."

"Did you want me to tell Dad where you're going and who you're going with?"

Sera sighed. "I'm sure that he'll want to know," she said. "But, you really have to emphasize the fact that this was not my idea."

Xavier chuckled as he turned back to his comic. "Oh, I will, but I can't guarantee that he'll believe it."

"He better," Sera said. "He just has to remind himself that we're dealing with a hopelessly lovesick human teenage girl."

"Ooh, is someone falling off of the Elena bandwagon?" Xavier asked, looking back at his cousin. "I thought you two would be besties."

"Let's not take it that far," Sera said.

"How far shall we take it then?"

"About as far as she is my friend but she is being annoying and I really need her to stop being annoying," Sera said. "I honestly don't know how she thinks that she is going to be able to help, but whatever."

"Because True Love conquers all," Xavier said, with a dramatic flourish.

"Spare me," Sera said, with a smile. "I'll see you later."

"Good luck," Xavier said, as Sera walked away. "You're going to need it."

* * *

Hiking through the Tennessee woods with Alaric and Elena was not a completely awkward experience. What had been awkward was when Elena and Alaric found Sera waiting at Elena's car. Elena tried to protest, at first, but her protestations were shut down quickly with a fairly nasty look from Sera and a calm talking-to from Alaric.

"Since you're determined to put yourself in harm's way," Sera had said. "You're stuck with me. In fact, I'm surprised that you didn't get me involved in this to begin with."

"I thought that you would try and stop me," Elena said. "After what we discussed the night of the party."

"You're not wrong," Sera said.

Now, they made a pit stop on their way to find the pack. While Sera was armed and dangerous with her magic and vampire abilities, Elena and Alaric took to trading a wolfsbane grenade for a magic death-defying Gilbert ring, along with Alaric showing both of them every weapon that he carried in his backpack. Sera still wondered, however, if it would be enough.

Then, out of nowhere, Damon was pushing Elena into the lake.

Apparently, Sera wasn't the only one who passed the message about their journey along to someone else. Alaric had called Damon too and now both Damon and Xavier had joined them on their quest for the werewolves.

"You sold me out!"** Elena said, looking at both Sera and Alaric.

"You think I'd take you into a mountain range of werewolves on a full moon without backup?"** Alaric said. "Why the hell did you think I called Sera? Did you honestly think that she wouldn't tell anyone where she was going?"

Elena looked to Sera, who shrugged. "He has a point."

"You've kept secrets from your family before," Elena shot back.

"Ooh, ouch," Sera said. "Come on, let's not fight. We need to work as a team, remember? We're only doing this for your own good."

Damon and Elena then proceeded to fight about their current situation, whether or not Damon had given up on Stefan, whether or not Elena should continue on her quest. The Salvatore cousins both rolled their eyes at the same time as Damon got into the lake himself to try and pull Elena out and looked to Alaric. Alaric shrugged and shook his head.

"Then we'll find him before then,"** Elena said, in regards to the full moon. She motioned to Sera. "Sera knows exactly where he is right now. She can take us right to him."

"She's right," Sera called down to the water. "I do know where he is."

Damon rolled his eyes and looked at his niece. "Not helping!"

"You're the one who told her that I was tracking Dad," Sera said. "This is your fault, not mine."

After a bit more discussion, both Damon and Elena climbed out of the water. Shortly after, they continued on with their quest, with Sera leading the way. They were discussing how much further they had left and how much time they had left before the moon rose when a clearly sick individual stumbled out of the forest in front of them. Alaric automatically held up his crossbow in the man's direction.

"Stay where you are!"**

The man looked at them. "Vampire."**

The man lunged at Damon, who tried to fight him off but got pinned to a tree. The man, who now showed himself to be a werewolf was about to attack further when Sera used her magic to pull him off of Damon and throw him into another tree nearby. The werewolf looked up from where he fell and his eyes landed on Sera, locking with her blood red ones and moved to attack her instead. But, he was stopped with a wolfsbane grenade to the face, which had been used against him by the joint effort of Xavier and Elena.

"Let me guess,"** Alaric said. "Hybrid."**

"Or a wannabe hybrid," Sera said, walking over to examine their fallen attacker. Her eyes had gone back to their natural brown color. "Something is seriously wrong with him."

"How so?" Alaric asked.

"When you turn, you're not supposed to bleed from your eyes," Sera said, squatting down to get a better look. "I know that siring a werewolf-vampire hybrid wasn't a thing before a couple of months ago, but I don't think the transition is working at all."

"Wonderful," Xavier said. "How many more wolfsbane grenades do you have?"

"Not many," Alaric admitted.

"Fantastic," Xavier said. "How else are we supposed to fight them then?"

"We'll worry about that if there are any more like him," Damon said, poking at their fallen attacker with his foot as Sera stood. "Come on, let's tie him up so he doesn't cause any more damage."

* * *

Tying up their attacker hadn't really helped. Not only did it deplete them of their chains, ropes, and source of vervain, but their attacker started to turn into a werewolf…with the sun still out.

So, they ran for it.

"See? This is why this was a bad idea!" Xavier exclaimed as they ran.

"Not now, Xavier!" Damon yelled at his son.

They continued to run until Elena tripped and fell to the ground, coming face to face with a wolf. Everyone froze, not wanting to spook the wolf, until Damon made the decision to distract it by running away. Xavier instinctively followed his father into the woods while Alaric managed to convince Elena to run with him back to the car, but only after Sera promised – as if she really had to promise – that she would go after Xavier and Damon and make sure that neither one of them would get bitten.

Sera was heading off to chase after Damon and Xavier when she heard a branch break behind her. She paused, listening and, when she didn't hear anything else, whipped around, ready to attack. But, instead of finding a wolf or another poor attempt at making a hybrid, she found her father standing behind her. She almost didn't believe what she was seeing.

"Dad?"

Stefan gave her a sad smile. "Hey, Princess."

Sera rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly, with Stefan doing the same. "I can't believe it's really you," she said. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," Stefan said. "More than words can say."

Sera pulled away to look at him. "Uncle Damon and Xavier are out there, being chased by…"

"I know," Stefan cut her off. "I just stepped in and saved them. They should be on their way back to Elena and Alaric by now."

"You knew we were here?"

Stefan nodded once. "I saw you all hiking up the mountain earlier."

"So, Klaus…?"

"Doesn't know you're here," Stefan finished. "Which means that you have to go before he somehow figures it out. And, you have to stop tracking me."

Sera started shaking her head. "Dad, I can't," she said. "I'm going to bring you home. How can I do that if I can't track where you are?"

"You have to stop, Sera," Stefan said. "I know that Klaus is apparently your family, but that doesn't mean that he won't hurt you if you stand in his way. Look at what he did to his siblings, including your grandfather. I can't be the reason that you get hurt. I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to you."

"But, how else am I supposed to get you home?"

Stefan put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You're not."

Sera started shaking her head, again. "Dad, no," she said. "You can't stay with him. Look at what he is forcing you to do."

"This was what I had to do to save your uncle," Stefan said.

"For how long?" Sera demanded. "Until Klaus decides differently? Dad, he could keep you by his side forever. I'm not going to stop until you are back home where you belong, not even if Klaus threatens me."

Stefan brought his daughter into his embrace. "You remind me so much of your mother, do you know that?"

"Yeah, I do," Sera said. She pulled away from Stefan and her eyes narrowed when she looked down at his arm. "Dad, what the hell is this?"

She grabbed onto his arm and pulled it closer to her. Stefan hesitated before answering. "A werewolf bite."

Sera looked at her father. "Klaus has to give you his blood," she said. "I'll make him give you his blood. Take me to where he is. I can force him…"

"Sera," Stefan said, putting his hand on her cheek. "You know that I can't take you there. Klaus could hurt you."

"But, Dad…"

"It's alright, Sera," Stefan assured her. "Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

"No, it won't." Sera was close to tears. "Dad, please."

Stefan brought his daughter into his embrace one more time. "When Klaus gives me his blood, I'll let you know, alright?" He promised her. He pulled away to look at her face once more.

"I can't leave you knowing that you may or may not be dying," Sera said. "Not when I have the power to stop it."

"Sera, I vowed the moment that you were placed into my arms that I would protect you, no matter the cost," Stefan said. "This is one of those moments. I didn't come and see you to get you upset or to have you fight a battle for me. I came to see you because you are my daughter…and I needed to see you again." Stefan kissed her forehead. "Please," he said. "Go home. I need to know that you are safe."

Sera hugged her father again. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered.

Stefan nodded against her shoulder. "Go," he said, as she pulled away. "Before Klaus gets suspicious."

Sera hesitated before racing off to where they had left the car. As to be expected, Damon was waiting for her, leaning against his car. "Took you long enough. I was just about to head back in to find you," he said. "What were you doing in there?"

"Looking for you and Xavier," Sera replied. "Where are the others?"

"Already on their way back," Damon replied. "I sent Xavier with them, just in case."

They both got into Damon's car and headed off back to the main road. They drove in silence for a few moments before Damon broke it. "You saw him, didn't you?"

Sera nodded. "Yeah."

"We're going to bring him home, Sera," Damon assured his niece. "I promise."

Sera looked down when she felt her phone vibrate on her lap. It was a text from an unknown number.

 _I love you, Princess._

Sera smiled. Klaus must have given Stefan his blood. "I know, Uncle Damon," she said. "It's only a matter of time."

* * *

 **I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Road Trip to the Windy City

"Hey, Caroline. It's Sera. Just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out. Maybe watch a movie or something. Call me." Sera hung up the phone and sighed. "Have you heard from Caroline, lately?"

Xavier shook his head as he took a sip of blood from his glass. "I haven't seen her since Elena's party," he replied. "Why?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of her and she's not answering her phone or any of the texts that I've sent her," Sera replied, sitting down next to him on the couch. She was checking her text messages, again. "That seems strange, doesn't it?"

"Maybe she's just busy," Xavier suggested. "Isn't she the most popular girl in your school or whatever?"

"Still," Sera said. "It seems unlike her to not answer her phone at all." She stood and slid her phone back into her pocket. "I think that I'm going to head over there and see if she's ok."

"Blondie can wait," came Damon's voice. "We are headed to Chicago."

Xavier and Sera turned when Damon came into the room. "Chicago?" Xavier repeated. "Why?"

"It's where Dad and Klaus currently are," Sera said. Despite Stefan's warning, Sera had not stopped tracking where he and Klaus were. She looked at her uncle. "But, what has you ready for a road trip?"

"Because I promised you that we would bring him home," Damon said. "And, despite what people may think, I do try to keep the promises that I keep."

"Well, I'm in," Xavier said, putting his glass down and standing. "It's been at least twenty years since I've been to Chicago. Plus, getting Uncle Stefan back is a definite plus."

"I'm obviously in," Sera said. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as Elena gets here. So, you two better go and pack a couple of bags."

Sera gave her uncle a look as Xavier crossed his arms. "Seriously, Dad?" Xavier said. "After what happened with the werewolf hybrid attempt in Tennessee, you're going to bring her to Chicago for what is certain to be another dangerous confrontation?"

"It is obviously clear that Elena will go off on her own if she is given even the slightest clue as to where he is," Damon said. "She needs to see what Stefan is like when he is in a state like this. She needs to know what she is getting herself into."

"While I'm inclined to agree with you on the matter of Elena's education about Dad and his past," Sera said. "Bringing Elena is a distraction that we seriously don't need right now."

"Well, it's too late for that, because she'll be here in 3…2…1…"

The door to the Boarding House opened and Elena walked in with a bag over her shoulder. "Ready to go?"

Damon turned and smiled at her, as Sera and Xavier exchanged glances. "Give them a few minutes. They just found out about our little road trip," he said. He turned back to his son and niece. "Shall we all car pool together?"

"No, I think we'll take separate cars," Xavier said. He started walking towards the stairs so he could go and pack a bag. "I really don't feel like being crammed in the backseat." He motioned to his cousin. "Sera can drive."

Sera rolled her eyes as she walked past her uncle. "I guess I'm driving," she mumbled. She walked past Elena and towards the stairs, heading to pack a bag as well. "Good luck road tripping it with Uncle Damon," she said. "I'm sure it's bound to be super fun."

* * *

After arriving at Stefan's old apartment from the 1920s, and showing Elena the list of Stefan's victims, Damon and Sera had left Xavier and Elena behind to try and figure out a plan while they went to visit Stefan's "old stomping ground" as Damon had called it. In fact, Gloria's had been a place that all four Salvatore vampires had frequented over the years and Gloria, the witch who had owned it for as long as they could remember, came to know them very well. Gloria was the only other witch that Sera knew of that had used the longevity spell to stay young, just like Celia had.

"This place is still as popular now as it was back then," Sera commented as she and Damon entered the bar and looked around at all the people.

"Gloria does know how to throw a party," Damon replied. He nodded towards the bar. "Still is looking good too."

Sera's gaze followed her uncle's and she saw Gloria wiping down the bar. It took a moment or two but Gloria looked up and spotted them right away. She threw her rag down on the counter. "Well, look what the wind blew in,"** she said. "Do I have the honor of seeing all of the Salvatores tonight? Is Xavier with you?"

"He's in town," Damon confirmed.

"Since when are all four of you in the same town at the same time?"

"Things have changed slightly, in case you hadn't noticed," Damon replied. He smiled. "The family has finally been reunited."

"About damn time." Gloria turned and looked at Sera. "Nice to see you again, Sera," she said. "It's been a while."

"Likewise," Sera replied. "And, I take it by your comment, that you've seen my father?"

"I have," Gloria said "He's with Klaus, which we all know is a disaster waiting to happen."

"Do you know where he went?"** Damon asked.

"They'll be back here later tonight,"** Gloria said. She nodded at Sera. "I want to talk to you," she said. She looked at Damon. "Alone."

Damon shook his head. "Whatever you want to say to my niece, you can say to me."

"Not going to happen," Gloria said.

"Go ahead, Uncle Damon," Sera said. "I'll catch up with you."

Damon hesitated and looked at Gloria before getting up and leaving. Once Damon was gone, Sera turned to Gloria. "Alright, what's this all about?"

"I wouldn't stick around if I were you."

Sera's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Your uncle is looking for a way to contact the Original Witch," Gloria explained. "And, I told him that I could help him only if I could talk to Rebekah. She has what I need."

"Rebekah?" Sera said. "I haven't seen her in about ninety years."

Gloria nodded. "I know," she said. "And something tells me that she's still not happy with you."

Sera rolled her eyes. "She needs to get over it," she said. "It wasn't my fault and I was just as upset about it as she was."

"I know," Gloria said. "But, you know how she is. I'd watch your back if I were you."

Sera sighed. "I'm not afraid of my aunt, Gloria," she said.

"That's not all," Gloria said. "Klaus also let it slip that he might want to get you involved in his plans."

"Me?" Sera said. "How would I be able to help him?"

"You're the Impossible Hybrid," Gloria said. "You're a walking, talking exception to Nature's rule. To this day, no one knows how you managed to keep your magic when you turned. Because of this, your uncle thinks that maybe you'll be able to help him figure out his hybrid problem."

"Then why bother contacting the Original Witch?"

"Because you always need a backup plan," Gloria said. "There's no guarantee that the Original Witch will help him, after all."

"What did my father say to that?"

"Nothing," Gloria said. "He wasn't supposed to be listening in, though I'm sure that he was. The look on his face after Klaus and I were done talking said it all. He doesn't want you getting involved either."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sera said. "You're willing to help Klaus with the Original Witch, so why warn me that he wants me to help him?"

"Because I like you, Sera," Gloria said. "I like all of you Salvatores. I don't want to see you get dragged into Klaus's plans like your father was."

"I'm not going to be dragged into Klaus's plans," Sera said. "Not after all that he has done."

"You say that now, but you are very much like both of your parents, Sera," Gloria said. "I know that you would sacrifice yourself if that meant that your father would go free."

Sera sighed. "I will deal with it," she said. "Thanks for the warning, Gloria."

"Be careful, Sera," Gloria called after her, as Sera moved to leave the bar. "Don't let Klaus get into your head."

Sera turned around and smiled at her old friend. "I never have," she said. "And, I never will."

* * *

After returning to Stefan's old apartment to find out that Xavier and Elena had almost been discovered by Klaus, were it not for Stefan's intervention, Damon revealed that his ultimate plan was that Sera would distract Klaus and he, Xavier and Elena would deal with Stefan. He even had Sera buy Elena a new outfit for the occasion after she was done talking to Gloria.

"So, let me get this straight," Damon was saying, as Elena was changing her clothes. "Klaus wants you to help him?"

"According to Gloria, at least," Sera said. "I don't see how I can though. I've never tried to make a hybrid army before."

"Don't tell me that you're going to take Stefan's place," Damon said. "We're not trading one for the other."

"That is not going to happen," Sera said. "Even if Klaus tries to get me to go with him, I won't do it. He probably knows that too, which is why he hasn't said anything to me about this."

"And, if he offers to release Uncle Stefan if you take Uncle Stefan's place?"

Sera sighed at Xavier's question. "Then, I would," she said. "And I would stick around for a few days before hightailing it back to Mystic Falls."

"And, when Klaus comes after you?" Xavier asked.

"It doesn't matter because it's not going to happen," Damon said. "We're going to get Stefan and all of us will return to Mystic Falls together."

"Speaking of, wouldn't it make more sense for me and Elena to team up to deal with Dad?" Sera asked. "You're using her to try and convince Dad to come home, right? Why not use me too? I have dealt with this sort of thing before, you know."

"This sort of thing has never happened with an Original involved before. Klaus may be a hybrid now, but he is still vulnerable to your magic," Damon explained. "Xavier and I would probably cause very little damage compared to what you could do to him."

"What if he's had protections placed upon him by another witch?"

"Gloria wouldn't have done that," Damon said, brushing off Sera's question.

"I didn't say Gloria, I said another witch," Sera said. "Gloria and I can't be the only two witches Klaus knows. After what I did to him at the sacrifice, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to get himself some extra protection."

"Klaus doesn't even know that you're still following him," Damon said. "He's too preoccupied with his hybrid failures than to think of protecting himself from his own great-niece. We have a better chance of success if you're the one dealing with Klaus, rather than me and Xavier."

Sera sighed. "Fine."

At that moment, Elena stepped out of the bathroom in the new dress that Sera had bought for her. "How do I look?"

"Fantastic," Damon said. "Now, let's go. Klaus and Stefan are probably at the bar by now. It's time to get this show on the road."

* * *

Their plan was in motion. Damon had gotten Stefan to leave the bar, leaving Sera to deal with Klaus herself. She took in a deep breath as she slid into an empty seat beside him.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to show up in person."

"Let's end this now," Sera said. "You don't need him anymore."

"I haven't gotten what I wanted yet," Klaus said.

"You can't always get what you want," Sera replied. She looked at her great-uncle. "You sound like a spoiled child."

"I have woken Rebekah," Klaus said, changing the subject.

"That was kind of you," Sera said. "It's only been, what? Ninety years since you stabbed her."

"I also plan on giving your father his memories back."

Sera looked at him. "You took his memories?"

"Back in the 20s," Klaus replied, with a nod. "Oh, he and I used to be great friends. Brothers, one could say. He even dated your aunt, did you know that?" Sera looked back at the bar as Klaus started laughing a bit. "I took his memories when your great-grandfather conducted a raid on Gloria's bar, almost catching me and Rebekah in the process."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, now that your precious little secret is out there for the world to know, I figured that I should let you in on the things you missed when you were pretending not to be a Mikaelson."

"Let my father go, Klaus," Sera said, bringing the subject back to its initial starting point.

Klaus looked around him, to make sure that no humans were still milling about, before looking back at his great-niece. "No."

Klaus grabbed Sera's neck and threw her across the room. She got up without hesitation and used her magic to throw Klaus to the other side of the room. Klaus broke the leg off of a chair and hurled it in Sera's direction. Sera brought her hand up in front of her, stopping the stake with her magic just before it entered her chest. She used her magic to turn the stake around and hurl it back in Klaus's direction when the stake spontaneously caught on fire and fell to the ground.

"Not in my bar,"** Gloria said. She pointed to the door. "You take it outside."**

"It's just a small family squabble, Gloria," Klaus said.

"Nothing is small with you Mikaelsons," Gloria said. "Outside. Now."

Klaus turned back to his great-niece. "There's no point in continuing this any further, Serafina," he said. "You can't always get what you want."

Sera glared at her great-uncle as he used Vampire Speed to leave the bar. She looked at Gloria, who shrugged sadly at her, before she turned and left the bar without another word. Xavier was waiting for her.

"Sera!" Xavier exclaimed, when his cousin approached her Jeep. "Listen, we have to go."

"Did it work?" Sera asked.

Xavier shook his head. "No," he replied. "Uncle Stefan caught me before I had a chance to stick him with the needle. Nearly broke my hand off, too."

"How could he catch you? Weren't you going at Vampire Speed?"

"Of course I was," Xavier said. "But, Uncle Stefan does have a good twenty years on me, remember? Besides, he's been hanging out with Klaus for way too long. He's probably picked up some of his tricks."

"Where is he now?"

"Gone," Xavier replied. "Dad and Elena have already left. And, believe you me, Elena was not happy after hearing what Uncle Stefan had to say to her. He was extremely harsh. He's mad at you too, by the way, for tracking him after he told you to stop. I don't know, Sera. I feel like he's really close to flipping his switch."

"Shit," Sera said, under her breath as she and Xavier got into her Jeep. "Now what?"

"We'll have to go back to the drawing board," Xavier said. He looked at his cousin. "You alright?"

Sera shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm not." Sera threw the car into drive and sped off down the street. "I'm so damn tired of this."

"We'll figure something else out."

"That's not good enough," Sera said. "We need help. We need someone who can anticipate Klaus's next move. Someone who knows Klaus well enough to remain one step ahead of him."

"The only person alive that can do that is you, Sera," Xavier said. "You're the only one out of all of us who knows Klaus in such a way."

Sera's mind began racing. "I need to stop pretending that I'm not a Mikaelson and start acting like one."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

"I'm not sure that I do either," Sera admitted.

But, Sera already had a plan in mind, if she could pull it off. Xavier was right. Out of everyone, Sera was the only one who could even attempt to predict Klaus's next move. But, she was also right. They needed help from someone who knew Klaus even better than Sera did. Sera knew exactly what she had to do.

She had to find her grandfather.

* * *

 **I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	4. A Deal Between Hybrids

The only problem with finding Elijah was that Sera couldn't think of anything she had that belonged to him.

Sera had decided to keep her new plan to herself, for now. Until she could actually find Elijah, there was no point in letting anyone in on her idea. Plus, Sera wasn't even sure that Elijah would be willing to help but, given how Klaus betrayed Elijah so soon after Elijah saved him, Sera had a feeling that the odds were in her favor. So, Sera had set about trying to find something that belonged to Elijah so that she could perform the spell to find him, rather than continue to track Stefan.

"What are you doing?"

Sera was on her hands and knees and had her head buried in her closet when she heard the familiar voice come up behind her. "Caroline!" Sera exclaimed. "Hey!" Sera stood and brushed some of the dust off of her clothes. "Everything alright? I've been trying to get a hold of you."

"Yeah, I got your messages," Caroline said. "Sorry for not answering but I was…tied up."

Sera's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

Caroline sighed and went through the whole story as the two of them sat down on Sera's bed. She talked about how she had gotten kidnapped by Carol Lockwood and tortured by her own father, just because she was a vampire. When the story was done, Sera hugged her friend. "Jesus," Sera swore. "I can't even imagine how horrible that must have been." She pulled away and looked at Caroline. "If I had known what was happening…"

"I know," Caroline interrupted. "Believe me, I do. But, I heard that you had quite the experience in Chicago."

Sera rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, it was wonderful."

"How is Stefan?"

Sera sighed. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't see him this time. I saw Klaus, though. That was ever-so-much fun. Fortunately, our fight this time didn't end with too much violence. Just a bit of damage at a bar...which we were promptly told to leave afterwards."

Caroline laughed. "Sera Salvatore got kicked out of a bar?" She teased. "Whatever will her father think?"

Sera started laughing too. "Oh my god, don't tell my dad!" She said, in a mock panic. "He'll ground me for like…ever."

Caroline and Sera both started laughing harder. "Hey, are you going to the party at the Lockwoods?" Caroline asked, as the laughter died down a bit. She nodded towards the mess coming out of Sera's closet. "Or, are you too busy trying to find the passage to Narnia?"

Sera smiled and looked at the mess before looking back at Caroline. "I could use a break," she said. "You're talking about the Founders Party, right?"

Caroline nodded. "Everyone will be there," she said. "Believe it or not, Xavier even said that he was going to go."

"Damn," Sera said. "That's actually amazing. Xavier has always hated the Founders Party."

"Why?"

"He got dumped by a girl there once back in the 1880s," Sera said. "He's still bitter."

"I'll say," Caroline said. "Bonnie and I are going to head to Elena's before the party. Want to come?"

"Sure," Sera replied. "Help me pick out something to wear, will you?"

Finding Elijah would have to be put on hold, temporarily. Like Caroline said at Elena's birthday party, Sera did need to have fun once in a while, despite all the crazy stuff that was happening around her. Besides, it was one day. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

When Elena's necklace started burning her in the middle of getting her chili ready for the party, Sera automatically confiscated it.

Upon further investigation, Sera realized that she had seen this necklace before, and not just on Elena's neck. It had, once, been Rebekah's. Sera had never really payed much attention to the necklace upon her return home to Mystic Falls, only knowing that it was a gift from Stefan to Elena. But, now that she knew that Rebekah and Stefan once dated, Sera understood how a Mikaelson family heirloom came to be in her father's possession.

Sera was twirling the necklace around her finger, as she sat at the party with her friends. Something told her that the necklace was the key to getting a hold of the Original Witch and that was why Gloria needed Rebekah before trying to contact her. Now that Sera had it, she had a bargaining chip with Klaus.

Though she was at the party, Sera stepped away to make a phone call. Damon and Xavier were standing and talking to each other by the table of chili, and the girls were sitting just far enough away from the rest of the people so that no one could hear what they were talking about. Sera looked around her quickly before dialing the number.

 _"This is quite an interesting surprise. I never expected you to call me."_

"Something tells me that you're looking for a necklace," Sera said. "Extremely old. Silver. Last seen on Rebekah's neck. Ring any bells?"

The silence on the other end of the line indicated that she had struck a chord. _"You have it."_

"Yes, I do," Sera said. "And, if you plan on using it for any reason, I am more than willing to strike a bargain with you."

 _"Even knowing what I plan on doing with it?"_

"You want to contact the Original Witch to have her help you with your hybrid problem," Sera said. "And, I want my father back."

 _"So, you want to trade."_

 _"Tell her that I want my necklace back or else!"_

Sera rolled her eyes, realizing that she was now on speaker phone. "Aunt Rebekah. So lovely to hear your voice after so many years."

 _"It wasn't enough what you did to me back at the turn of the century. But, you left me to rot in a box for almost a century and now you took my necklace!"_ Rebekah said.

"I did nothing to you!" Sera exclaimed. "What happened wasn't my fault! And, I did not take your necklace. I found it."

 _"Girls, please, this is not the time to revive old arguments. Now, Serafina, how can I trust that, should I allow Stefan to return to Mystic Falls, you would do your part and return Rebekah's necklace to us?"_

"And, how can I trust that, if I give you the necklace, you will allow him to come home?" Sera responded. "It's a simple trade, Klaus. The necklace for my father. Surely, you would be willing to do anything that is necessary to get what you want."

 _"Now, tell me, why aren't you bothering to bargain for Elijah?"_

Sera took in a breath and let it out slowly and silently. She couldn't let Klaus or Rebekah know that she was planning on finding and releasing Elijah, because that would ruin her plan. So, she had to pretend otherwise. "Because you won't kill him. The worst you can do is leave him daggered for a hundred years," she said. "Besides, he deserves it after betraying me at the sacrifice."

 _"There's a little hint of the Mikaelson in you. I'm sure it's been waiting for ages to make a reappearance."_

 _"Wait, she's told everyone?"_ Rebekah asked.

"Do we have a deal or not?" Sera said, trying to get the conversation back to its initial starting point.

 _"I think that we might. We are currently still in Chicago, but I will let you know when we are on our way to Mystic Falls."_

"Or, I could come back to Chicago," Sera said. Even if the necklace was what Klaus was focusing on now, he still couldn't know that Elena was alive.

 _"Even better. We can have a nice little family get-together in the Windy City."_

"Sure, whatever," Sera said. "It'll be a couple of days but I'll let you know when I am on my way." She hung up the phone and walked over to her uncle and cousin. "I have a plan to get Dad back."

Damon and Xavier looked at each other before following Sera away from where they could be overheard. "Alright, I'm listening," Damon said.

Sera held up Elena's necklace. "Klaus is looking for this."

"How do you know that?" Xavier asked.

Sera explained the whole story, about how the necklace started burning Elena and how Klaus needed it to continue on with his hybrid plan. "So, we're going to trade," Sera concluded. "Klaus gets the necklace and Dad gets to come back to Mystic Falls."

"You're not going back to Chicago alone," Xavier said. "I'm coming with you."

"We're both going with you," Damon chimed in. "Stefan would murder us if we let you go by yourself."

Sera shook her head. "Neither one of you are coming with me."

Damon and Xavier looked at each other, again, and then back at Sera. "Why not?" Xavier asked.

"Because this is my family that we're dealing with," Sera said. "I know, more or less, how they operate. Klaus may see it as a threat if I come with back up and I certainly don't need him changing his mind about our deal. I am going to go back to Chicago with the necklace to get Dad and you two are going to stay and make sure that everything stays fine here."

"I don't like it," Damon said. "You've already had three run-ins with Klaus and all of them have ended with a fight. Two of them even saw you get hurt, despite your magic."

"Klaus will never go as far as to kill me," Sera said. "In his own twisted way, Klaus still respects the bond of family. My Mikaelson blood is going to work in my favor every time."

"And the time that it doesn't?" Xavier asked. "I'm sorry, Sera. But, Klaus has daggered his own siblings for decades at a time. Their Mikaelson blood isn't doing them any favors. Why should yours?"

"There is a big difference in those two situations," Sera said. "They're not dead. Not really, anyway. If Klaus were to ever dagger me, I would actually die. That's why he will never do it."

Damon sighed. "It's worth a shot, at least."

"Dad!"

"She has a point, Xavier," Damon said. "She does know them better than we do. Plus, none of the plans that we've come up with have worked so far. But, what happens when Klaus gets the necklace and uses it to help with his hybrid problem?"

"We'll deal with that later," Sera said. "The main thing is to get Dad back to Mystic Falls. Once that's done, then we can deal with the next problem."

Damon nodded. "When do you leave?"

"I told Klaus in a few days," Sera said.

"Good," Damon said. "Make him wait."

Damon turned and walked back to the party. Xavier looked at his cousin. "This is ridiculous."

Sera rolled her eyes. "This is the least ridiculous thing that has happened since we came home."

Xavier followed Sera as she walked back to the party as well. "How do you know that Klaus won't trick you somehow?"

"I don't," Sera said. "But, since I have what he needs, the odds are in my favor."

Xavier stopped and shook his head as Sera headed back over to where she had left Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie. He stood there for a moment before continuing on after her. Sera took a seat in between Bonnie and Elena as Xavier grabbed one between Bonnie and Caroline. "Sorry about that," Sera said.

"Everything alright?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, fine," Sera said. "What did we miss?"

"We were on the topic of 'Switching Salvatores'," Caroline replied.

"Ha! Yes! I win!" Xavier exclaimed. He extended his hand to Sera. "Pay up!"

"Wait, what?" Elena said. "You two had a bet going?"

"Yup," Xavier replied, as Sera slapped ten dollars into his open palm. "We started it after your birthday party. I said that we would hear of such an occurrence before the end of the summer, but Sera said that it wouldn't happen at least until the fall."

"Correction," Sera said. "I said that it wouldn't happen before Christmas."

"Why would you make a bet about something like this?" Elena asked.

"Because we have eyes," Xavier replied. "We've seen how you two have acted around each other. We're not stupid."

Elena shook her head. "Well, the bet's off because it's not true," she said. She stood. "I've got to go."

The four of them watched as Elena stormed off back towards the rest of the crowd. "Ok, Xavier, I think that could have waited until after the party," Bonnie said. "Perhaps once you two were back at home?"

Xavier shrugged. "Caroline was talking about it," he said, putting the money in his pocket. "Why couldn't I?"

"It's something Elena needs to face, at any rate," Caroline said. She turned to Sera. "So, what's going on with the necklace?"

"It would be better if I kept the necklace," Sera said. "Just in case."

"Is it serious?" Bonnie asked.

Sera shook her head. "Not really," she said. "Just better safe than sorry, right?"

"Come on, guys," Xavier said. "This is a party. Can we stop talking about our current drama for at least a few hours?"

"Xavier's right," Caroline said. "So, tell us about the time that you got dumped back in the 1880s."

Xavier glared at his cousin, who had started laughing. "Seriously? You told her?"

Sera talked through her laughter. "Oh, come on, it's not that big of a deal."

"Alright, fine," Xavier said. "I'll remember that the next time the opportunity arises for me to tell an embarrassing fact about you." He turned back to Caroline. "I dodged a bullet in the end," he said, beginning his story. "She turned out to be one crazy woman…"

* * *

Things, of course, could not go without a lot more drama.

Not only did Damon and Caroline have a fight after he attacked her father, but Damon also felt the need to snap Alaric's neck so he could do what he wanted. Fortunately, Sera and Xavier had gotten Alaric back to the Boarding House without anyone noticing and he woke up the next morning with no problems.

Now, Sera was back in her bedroom, rummaging through her belongings for anything that might have even once belonged to Elijah. Rebekah's necklace was in a box on her bed, ready and waiting for the trip to the Chicago. She was, once again, on her hands and knees, going through old boxes.

Then, it hit her.

She might not have had anything in her closet, but her mother certainly did. Celia's old house was still standing and had been turned into a historic landmark a century ago. Sera grabbed her coat and car keys and rushed out of the house without anyone noticing.

Getting into the house was not difficult. Sera used compulsion to send the staff away until further notice. The staff did so quickly, leaving Sera alone in the house that she had been born and grew up in. It had been years since she had stepped across its threshold and it took her a moment before she continued on with her mission, the memories washing over her like a waterfall.

She went into her mother's old bedroom. All of the original furniture still remained in the house and Sera was amazed by how perfect everything still looked. She opened her mother's closet and searched for the loose floorboard. Sure enough, just underneath, she found an old box, covered in dust and cobwebs.

Sera pulled the box out of its hiding spot and got rid of the debris. Opening it, she smiled when she found what she was looking for: an old pocket watch that Celia had given Elijah one year for Christmas back in the 1890s. Celia had been a cautious woman, which was to be expected given the life she had led and the family she had come from. So, when Elijah had accidentally left his pocket watch behind after one visit in 1900, Celia had put the watch in a box and hid it under a loose floorboard in her closet so that no one else would find it and use it to track Elijah down. But, Celia died before she had a chance to give it back to him and it had remained in it's hiding spot ever since. Silently thanking her mother, Sera closed the box filled with her grandfather's watch and headed back home.

Xavier was heading upstairs when Sera came through the front door and took off her jacket. "Hey, where have you been?"

"Just had to run an errand," Sera replied. She casually hid the box in her jacket as she joined her cousin on his trip up the stairs. "What's up?"

"Nothing really," Xavier replied. "Dad left. Not entirely sure where, but he said that he wouldn't be gone for too long."

"And, you didn't go after him?"

"I don't think he's in a bad state of mind, not like the night we first arrived home," Xavier said. "He just said that he needed to clear his head or something like that. If he's not back by the end of the week, I'll track him down."

Sera nodded. "Let me know if you need me to do a locator spell."

"Will do," Xavier said, as they reached his bedroom. "Night."

"Night."

Sera continued on down the hall and back into her own bedroom, closing the door behind her. She sighed and placed her mother's box underneath her bed until she could find a safer spot for it. She threw her coat on her desk chair and turned to find that the box with Rebekah's necklace in it was no longer on her bed.

Sera frantically looked everywhere in her room for the box, but it was nowhere to be found. Now what was she going to do? She was supposed to meet Klaus and Rebekah in Chicago in a couple of days for the trade. How could she go through with the trade if she had nothing to exchange? Who would even take it? Sera sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands. Her plans to wake Elijah would have to be pushed up. He would be able to intervene on her behalf.

At least, she hoped so.

* * *

 **I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	5. Showdown on Senior Prank Night

When it occurred to Sera that the only person who would even want to steal the necklace was most likely Katherine, she knew that there had to be a connection between the necklace going missing and Damon suddenly deciding to go away for a few days. So, she picked up her phone and called her uncle. Damon answered on the second ring.

"Where the hell are you?"

 _"That's quite the greeting."_

"Seriously, Uncle Damon. Where are you? Are you with Katherine?"

The silence on the other end of the line confirmed Sera's assumptions, but Damon still tried to pretend that it wasn't true. _"Why would you think that?"_

"Alright, get to a place where she can't pick up on our conversation." Sera waited a few moments. "Are we good?"

 _"Yeah, she can't hear us. What's going on?"_

"Katherine stole the necklace," Sera said. "Now I can't make my deal with Klaus until I get it back." Damon cursed under his breath. Sera sighed. "You didn't know that, did you?"

 _"Of course not!"_

"Then, how did she convince you to go with her?"

" _After what happened at the Lockwood party, it didn't take much. Look, I'll fix this as soon as I can. But, you may need to stall for a day or two. God only knows why she decided to take it in the first place."_

"Hurry up, Uncle Damon. Klaus will get suspicious if I don't show up in Chicago soon."

 _"I know, I know. I'll get it back, alright?"_

"Alright."

Sera hung up and sighed as she lay back on her bed. Then, her phone buzzed again with a message from Caroline, reminding her that it was Senior Prank Night at school. Sera quickly typed back that she would be there soon. She stood, made sure that her box with Elijah's watch was securely hidden so no one could find it, and then headed out to meet her friends.

* * *

"I feel like this is stupid, but brilliant at the same time."

Sera smiled at her cousin as they continued to place empty cups on the gym floor. When Sera told him where she was going, Xavier was more than happy to attend. Their friends were in other parts of the school, setting up other pranks. "Aren't all pranks stupid?"

"I suppose," Xavier agreed. "But, had I known that this was happening, I would have gone all out."

"You did know this was happening," Sera said. "I told you about it last week. Besides, you don't even go here. Why do you care?"

"What was it Caroline was saying earlier?" Xavier said. "Something about making memories?"

Sera smiled and shook her head. "You could enroll in the school and continue making those memories every day."

"Nah, don't have time for that," Xavier said. "I'm too busy."

"You are such a liar!"

"Attention, seniors! You have officially been busted! Prank Night is over! Head on home."**

Sera's head shot up in the direction of the voice. "Oh, shit."

Xavier turned, saw Klaus with Elena, and then turned back to his cousin as the rest of the seniors in the gym got up and left. "What the hell is he doing here?" he asked. "I thought he was still in Chicago?"

"Whatever the reason is," Sera said, standing. "It's not going to be good."

Xavier followed his cousin and stood as well, as Klaus compelled two of Sera's fellow classmates. Klaus turned and found his great-niece staring at him. "Sorry to spoil the fun, Love," he said. "But, I came for the necklace."

"I told you that I would bring it to you in a few days," Sera said.

Klaus shrugged. "Plans changed," he said. "And, I am certainly glad that they did. When were you going to tell me that the doppelganger still lived? Or, was that another secret that you were planning on keeping?" Sera didn't respond, but that was the only answer Klaus needed. "Give me the necklace, Serafina."

"You know our deal, Klaus," Sera said. She couldn't let him know that she had lost it. "Not until I know that he came with you."

"Oh, he's here," Klaus said. "A little indisposed at the moment. Your aunt is watching over him as we speak."

Sera crossed her arms. "No necklace until I see him."

Klaus almost smiled. He rushed at Sera and grabbed her by the neck as Xavier went over to Elena. "Give me the necklace, sweetheart," he said. Sera tried to respond but Klaus's grip was too tight on her neck. Klaus looked into her eyes and blinked once or twice. "You don't have it, do you?" He said. "You lied to me!"

He released Sera's neck and she gasped for air. "I didn't lie to you!" Sera said. "The necklace was stolen."

"Stolen?" Klaus said. "By who?"

"Katherine."

Klaus stared at his great-niece for a moment or two. "I actually believe you," he said. "But, you promised me the necklace. Our deal is off."

"No!" Sera said. "My uncle is with Katherine right now and he will get it back for you."

"Will he?" Klaus said. "We'll see about that."

Just then, Bonnie and Matt entered the gym. Klaus's attention shifted away from Sera and to the new arrivals. Elena looked to Sera, but Sera kept her eyes on Klaus as he talked to Bonnie about her "witchy interference"** and how Klaus was making her find a solution to the hybrid problem. Then, Rebekah entered the gym, dragging Tyler along with her. Klaus grabbed hold of Tyler and explained his hybrid problem to the others. When Klaus force fed Tyler his blood, Sera rushed to stop him, but was stopped herself by Rebekah, who pinned her against the gym wall.

"I'd say it's lovely to see you again, but…"

"Shut it," Rebekah said.

Sera struggled against her aunt's strong grip as Klaus snapped Tyler's neck. Tyler fell to the ground in a heap. Klaus told everyone but Elena and Sera to go and get started on finding the solution. Xavier looked at his cousin. Sera nodded at him and he nodded back. He was going to go and help Bonnie and Matt, Sera was going to stay and deal with her relatives.

"Rebekah," Klaus said. "Why don't you make sure that our beloved niece doesn't get in the way?" Klaus looked at Sera. "I'd hate for something bad to happen to her if this transition doesn't go well."

Rebekah smiled at Sera. "With pleasure."

Rebekah moved Sera to the bleachers and tied her to the railing, being unnecessarily rough as she did so. "Seriously?" Sera said. "This is insane. You should want to help me, not hurt me."

"I thought the same thing about you, once," Rebekah said. "But, you proved me wrong."

Sera rolled her eyes at her aunt. "For the millionth time, it wasn't my fault."

Rebekah glared at her as she turned back to Klaus and Elena, beginning her commentary about the most recent doppelganger. Sera pulled against the ropes, but Rebekah had tied them tight. She glared at her aunt and uncle as Rebekah grabbed the currently dead Tyler and dragged him from the gym.

"Let me help Bonnie," Sera said. A look of fear flashed across Elena's face. But, convincing Klaus to let her help Bonnie meant that he would untie her and then Sera could work some magic of her own.

"No, no, the Bennett witch will handle this on her own."

"Why?" Sera asked. "You want a fix for your hybrid problem. Don't you want as many witches as possible trying to find you an answer?"

"Yes, witches I can trust."

"And you still can't trust me?"

"Not completely," Klaus said. "Not after three separate attempts to ruin my plans. How do I know if you would actually help or do something else to destroy me? At least with the Bennett witch, I have fear on my side. Her fear of what will happen to Tyler and the others is her motivation. Sorry, Love, but I don't see that same fear in you."

"That's because I've never been afraid of you."

Klaus started laughing. "We'll see about that," he said. "Besides, you may be powerful, but we all know that ritual magic is not your strong suit."

Sera rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean that I can't do it," she said. "You've seen me perform spells before. You know that I have the ability."

Klaus shrugged. "I don't want to take any chances."

Klaus walked over and sat on the bleachers, beside where Sera was tied to the railing. Elena went over to the two other seniors that Klaus had compelled earlier. They stayed in silence until the door to the gym opened and Stefan entered. Stefan's eyes first fell onto his daughter and her bound state before looking to Elena and then to Klaus.

"Klaus."**

"Come to save your damsel, mate?"** Klaus asked. "Or, did you come to save your daughter?"

Stefan glanced at Sera and then looked back at Klaus. "She's in no real danger with you, is she?" He said. "I mean, you are her uncle, after all. You've known her since she was a baby. Do you really have it in you to hurt her?"

Sera looked to Klaus, who seemed shocked by Stefan's response, but she knew that it was a ruse. The topic switched to Elena. Stefan's ruse of not caring about either one of them continued. He said that Elena meant nothing to him anymore and that he wanted to guarantee Klaus of his loyalty. Klaus, in his usual fashion, wanted such a statement proven with a test. He told Stefan to kill the two seniors, but Elena protested. Her protests were met with Klaus backhanding her across the face, which of course caused Stefan to attack Klaus himself.

Sera continued to struggle against her restraints, but froze when Klaus began to compel Stefan to do his bidding. Klaus turned to look at his great-niece. "Forgot about that, didn't you?" Klaus said. "Now, your precious father is completely under my control."

"Klaus, you're going too far," Sera said.

"You said it yourself, Serafina," Klaus said. "I am willing to do whatever is necessary to get what I want." Sera glared at him, but Klaus merely smiled. "I want this to be a test."

"A test of what?" Sera asked.

"The everlasting bond of family."

"Oh, so something that you constantly fail miserably at?"

Klaus looked at his great-niece. "More specifically, the bond between a father and his daughter."

Sera and Stefan looked at each other. "How so?" Elena asked.

"I want to see if, when it comes to his own daughter, Stefan will still do what I command of him." Klaus walked up to Stefan. He looked deep into Stefan's eyes, compelling him once again. "If your daughter tries to escape or does anything else to hinder my plans here tonight, I want you to break her neck."

Sera struggled against her restraints as she saw the compulsion take hold of Stefan. "All of this because Katherine stole the necklace?"

"All of this because I am tired of you showing up and getting in the way," Klaus replied. He walked over to his great-niece. "I am tired of your attempts at sabotage."

"And, I am tired of you ruining everything," Sera replied.

Klaus stared at her for a moment before turning back to Stefan and Elena. "Now, kill them, Ripper,"** he said to Stefan, motioning to the two seniors.

Stefan did as he was told without hesitation. Klaus then decided that he wanted to put a time limit on Bonnie's research efforts. They had twenty minutes to find the solution and, if they didn't find anything by then, Stefan was going to have to feed on Elena. And, if Elena tried to escape, Stefan would have to fracture her spine. Klaus left the gym shortly after giving his orders.

As Stefan tried to explain to Elena about being a Ripper, in a very loud and angry manner, Sera closed her eyes and concentrated on the ropes tying her to the railing. Though it was hard to concentrate at first due to Stefan's rant, Sera was able to light a flame on the ropes and allowed it to burn enough so that she would be free. The ropes fell to the ground and the flames died with it, but Sera still pretended that she was tied up for fear of having her neck broken by her father. And, though she was tempted to use her magic to destroy the countdown, she didn't for the same reason.

"Dad, listen to me," Sera said. "You are not going to feed on Elena when that buzzer goes off."

"How?" Stefan demanded. "Because you're here? Because you think that you can stop me? How can you do that, Sera, when, if you should try, I am supposed to break your neck?"

"Because I know you," Sera said, as Stefan began pacing again. "No matter what you may think, you are strong and you can resist this if you really try."

"You can repeat what Elena says all you want," Stefan said. "But, you, of all people, know how this story ends."

Sera shrugged. "Then, I think it's time we write a new ending."

Stefan shook his head. "I don't know if we can this time, Princess," he said, sadly.

"Not with that attitude, we can't."

The countdown was now down to mere seconds and the effects of that could be seen in Stefan. There was a sheen of sweat on his face and he physically looked like he was ready to pounce. "Both of you are going to have to get out of here."

"But, Klaus said…"

"I know what he said,"** Stefan replied. "But, if you stay it won't matter."**

Stefan was now on the ground, begging Elena to run. Elena was trying to tell him that there was another way to handle this and that he needed to fight, reiterating to him what Sera had said earlier. The buzzer then went off and Stefan's fight against the compulsion was more visible than ever. Sera unlinked her arms from around the railing and used Vampire Speed to get over to Elena.

"Run," she said. "Now. Before he starts chasing you."

"No, Sera, I can't…"

"Yes, you can," Sera said. She looked at Elena, her brown irises turning blood red. "Let me handle him."

Stefan rushed at them, but Sera put out her hand and used her magic to throw him across the gym. Stefan groaned as he hit the floor, but still called out for Elena to run. Elena finally did as she was told and Sera looked at her father as he brought himself into a standing position. "Catch me if you can."

Sera took off at Vampire Speed, knowing that the compulsion would force Stefan to go after her and, hopefully, stop him from going after Elena. She ran through the halls and ended up in the cafeteria. She turned when she heard Stefan burst in after her. He fell onto his knees, grabbing a hold of anything he could to stop him from breaking his daughter's neck. "Sera, I can't do this," Stefan said. "I can't…"

"Yes, you can," Sera said. She knelt down in front of him, giving him ample opportunity to break her neck. "Listen to me." She took his face into her hands and made him look at her. "You can fight this. You are stronger than you think." Stefan's hands went to Sera's neck, grabbing it and squeezing it tightly, ready to snap it in half. Sera shifted her head slightly to accommodate the presence of her father's hands, but maintained her eye contact with him. "I love you, Dad," she said, her voice strained due to the pressure. "I believe in you."

Stefan blinked a few times and then released his hold on his daughter's neck. Just then, Klaus entered the room, dragging Elena along behind him. "Well, well," he said. "How beautiful. And, my test now has its answer. The love between a parent and their child is, truly, remarkable. So strong that it can move mountains and break compulsions."

Both of Stefan and Sera stood. "Glad you got what you wanted, Klaus," Sera said. "Now, let us go."

"Not yet, Love," Klaus said. "You may have broken Stefan's compulsion, but would you have the same power if he was the Ripper again?"

Sera started shaking her head. "Klaus, don't."

Klaus tried to prompt Stefan to turn off his humanity, but Stefan resisted and pushed Klaus away from him. As Klaus stumbled back, Sera came up from behind him, grabbed his neck, and snapped it, sending Klaus to the ground in a heap. Sera looked down at her great-uncle and then looked at her father and Elena. "Let's go home."

* * *

With Klaus and Rebekah both being in Mystic Falls, Sera had a feeling that they had dragged the Mikaelson family coffins with them. So, after returning home with Stefan and filling everyone in on what had happened at the school, as well as listening to Xavier's tales of what happened with Matt and Bonnie and Damon's tales of his adventure with Katherine and, apparently, Jeremy, Sera went upstairs and finally performed the locator spell to find Elijah. He was, indeed, in Mystic Falls. While everyone else slept, Sera grabbed her coat, headed out once more, and found the Mikaelson family coffins in the back of a moving truck. Rebekah and Klaus appeared to be nowhere in sight, but Sera knew that she didn't have much time before they returned.

Sera was waiting with a few bags of blood when Elijah came back to the world of the living, after she removed the dagger from his chest. "Relax, relax," she said. She handed her grandfather one of the blood bags. "Drink."

Elijah eyed his granddaughter and complied with her command. After draining the bag, he threw it to the side and looked at her. "How did you find me?"

"Locator spell," Sera said, handing him the second bag. "I honestly didn't think I had anything of yours, otherwise I would have done this way sooner. But, I remembered Mom had this in her closet," she pulled an old pocket watch out of her pocket and handed it to him. ", and remembered that this belonged to you back in the 1890s."

Elijah took the watch out of his granddaughter's hand and ran his hands over it, stopping at the engraving "Always and Forever" etched on the back. The watch had been a gift from Celia for Christmas in 1893. "I had forgotten about this," he whispered. He looked up and at the coffins surrounding him. "Why haven't you woken the others?"

"Because you're the most reasonable one out of all of them and I need to talk to you," Sera replied. "Plus, Rebekah is already awake and with Klaus."

Elijah took hold of his granddaughter's hand and got out of the coffin that Klaus had put him in. "What's going on?"

Sera sighed and got Elijah up to speed on what had happened since he had chosen Klaus at the ritual and had been stabbed by him. "Needless to say, Klaus isn't going to be happy that I managed to snap his neck," Sera finished. "Nor is he going to be happy that I stopped him from making my father shut off his humanity."

"I will kill him for what he has done to you," Elijah vowed. "He's harmed his siblings in the past, as you well know, but you? He swore that he would never lay a hand on you!"

"It's not like he didn't have just cause," Sera said. "I have been picking fights with him and have tried to kill him. Multiple times."

"Still," Elijah said. "There are lines that even Niklaus should not cross." He looked at his granddaughter. "So, what do you want from me?"

"I need you to be my adviser, if you will," Sera said. "You have known Klaus a hell of a lot longer than I have. I can't predict his every move, despite what others may think. But, what I can do is react to the moves that he makes and, if at all possible, stop them before he executes them. I need you to tell me what is a good idea and what isn't. I need you to tell me whether or not Klaus will catch on to what I am doing. He can't know that I've woken you yet."

"What about your father?" Elijah asked. "And the rest of your family? Do they know about this?"

"They will once I get home," Sera said. "I didn't want anyone else to know until I had found and talked to you. There was no point in telling them if this plan of mine didn't work." She nodded towards the other coffins. "The others are going to stay asleep," Sera said. "I don't need Kol ruining things and I've never met Finn so I don't know how he would behave. Now that I know where they are, I can keep an eye on them. You can too."

"What about my coffin?" Elijah asked, motioning to the box behind him. "If someone should open it..."

"I will spell it shut," Sera said. "If anyone tries to open it, they'll know it was me who spelled it shut and I'll just tell them that I didn't want anything happening to you. Which isn't exactly a stretch of the imagination."

Elijah almost smiled at his granddaughter. "Where am I to go?"

"Mom's old house is still standing, with all of the original furnishings," Sera said. "It's been marked as a historical landmark by the Mystic Falls Historical Society, courtesy of yours truly back during World War I. Normally, they're open for tours on the weekends, but I have compelled the staff to cease tours until further notice and, fortunately, it's enough off the beaten path that no one will notice if you turn the lights on at night. You'll be fine there."

Elijah nodded. "I am sorry for what happened at the ritual," he said. "I was foolish enough to believe that my brother would do the honorable thing. I should have listened to you instead."

"Yeah, well, we can't change the past," Sera said. "And, you've always been foolish when it comes to Klaus, Gramps."

Elijah smiled. "Gramps?"

"Yeah, I'm trying it out, seeing how it fits," Sera said. "Grandfather seems too proper, Grandpa is ok, but I kind of like Gramps. Has a very 21st century vibe to it. At least I think so, anyway."

Elijah chuckled. "Whatever you want is fine with me," he said. "I'm just glad you're referring to me in such an endearing way again."

Sera returned the smile. "It was bound to happen at some point," she said. "Now, come on. Let's get you to Mom's house before Klaus tracks me down and realizes what I've done."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	6. Making Plans, Awakening Monsters

"You woke Elijah?"

Sera sighed. She had called a family meeting the morning after the events at the school to tell her family about what she had done. Now, Stefan, Damon, and Xavier were sitting in the living room while Sera stood, as if giving them a presentation.

"I did," Sera replied. "Last night."

"Where is he now?" Xavier asked.

"Mom's old house," Sera said. "No one will even know he's there."

"Why would you do this?" Stefan asked. "After what happened last night, Klaus will surely come after you and me. This will just add fuel to the fire."

"Because Elijah is the only one who truly knows Klaus," Sera said. "He can help us."

"You mean like he helped us at the ritual?" Damon said. "We can't trust him any more now than we could then."

"Things are different now," Sera said. "Elijah has promised that he is going to help us. He realizes that it was foolish to believe that he could trust Klaus and he's not all that happy with how Klaus has been treating me so..."

"So, we have to rely on his grandfatherly affections?" Damon said. "That seems a bit weak."

Sera gave her uncle a look. "Gee, thanks, Uncle Damon."

"He has a point, Sera," Xavier said. "The Mikaelson family dynamic seems a bit...strange..."

"And the Salvatore one isn't?" Sera replied. "These last few months have been the most the four of us have spent living in the same house and the same town in literally forever. I honestly can't even remember another time when this happened."

"Alright, alright," Stefan said, cutting a potential argument short. He looked at his daughter. "Does Elijah have a plan?"

Sera shook her head. "He won't until he knows what Klaus is up to next," she replied. "But, if Klaus does come after you or me, Elijah is prepared to step in."

"And, I assume we are not to tell anyone else that Elijah is back?"

Sera thought for a moment. "As long as Klaus and Rebekah don't find out, we should be good," she said. "That being said, I wouldn't volunteer the information to anyone."

Stefan nodded. "No matter what, the more people on our side the better," he said. He looked at his daughter again. "But, if Elijah goes back on his word a second time, we will be putting him back to sleep."

"It won't come to that..."

"Sera."

Sera sighed. "Fine," she said. "Whatever."

Just then, the door opened and Rebekah came waltzing in. "I understand why you love this house so much, Sera," she said. "It is gorgeous."

"What are you doing here?" Sera demanded, as the Salvatore men stood from their seats.

"It's not to hurt you, if that's what you think," Rebekah said. "Though, and this won't surprise you, Nik is not at all happy about what happened last night. You'd better watch your back."

"Funny," Sera said. "That's what Gloria said to me about you."

Rebekah almost rolled her eyes. "I am willing to enter into a temporary truce."

"Interesting." Stefan crossed his arms. "Why?"

"I need a place to stay," Rebekah said. "Believe it or not, my brother left me behind with nowhere to go."

"Where did he go?" Xavier asked.

Rebekah shrugged. "Like he would tell me that," She looked at Stefan and Sera. "So, where is my room?"

"You really think that I'm going to let you stay here?" Sera said. "In my house? After all these years of you hating me?"

"You know how this family works, Sera," Rebekah said. "Come on now. Don't keep me waiting, these bags are getting heavy."

Sera rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Unbelievable," she said, under her breath. "Absolutely unbelievable." She started walking past her great-aunt. "Come on."

"Uh, Sera," Damon said, as Rebekah started following her great-niece. "Can we discuss this?"

Sera paused on the stairway, with Rebekah on the step behind her. "Oh, you mean like how we discussed it when Katherine stayed with us?"

Stefan sighed as Sera continued up the stairs, with Rebekah following behind her. "She has a point, Damon."

"Yeah," Damon practically mumbled. "But, if Klaus really is going to come back for both of you, letting his sister stay here is not the best of ideas."

"Or, it could gain us some points in his favor," Xavier suggested.

"Either way, none of us are going to change Sera's mind right now," Stefan said. "I'll talk to her later."

* * *

"So, your aunt just, like, invited herself to stay at your house?" Caroline asked. "Is that even ok? Don't you two hate each other?"

Sera and Caroline were walking the halls of the school on their first day as seniors. "More like she hates me," Sera corrected her friend. "I really have nothing against her, to be honest. My anger towards her is caused by her irrational anger towards me."

"Why does she hate you?"

Sera sighed. "Kind of a long story," she admitted. "But, it was a…family problem. Can I tell you later? When we're not at school?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, of course," she said. "So, where did your uncle run off to?"

"Beats me," Sera said. "But, according to Damon, Jeremy and Katherine were able to track down Mikael, so it probably has something to do with that."

"Who's Mikael?"

Sera looked at her friend. "He put the Mikael in Mikaelson," she replied. "And, believe me, you really don't want to know more than that." She shifted her backpack on her shoulder. "So, how's Tyler?"

Caroline groaned. "He is reveling in the fact that he is Klaus's first successful hybrid," she said. "He, apparently, is getting blood bags from your aunt and he is absolutely loving it."

"Making him even more cocky than he already was?"

Caroline sighed. "Pretty much."

"Wonderful," Sera said. "Add that to the list of annoying things we have to deal with."

"Sera, Caroline, can I see you for a moment?"

Sera and Caroline looked at each other and headed into Alaric's classroom. When they got there, Stefan and Elena were already waiting for them. "Is this some sort of intervention?" Sera asked.

"Just a conversation," Alaric replied, closing the door behind him. "About Klaus."

Sera looked at her father. "Seriously, Dad?"

Stefan shrugged. "Call me overprotective, but I don't like the idea of Klaus just showing up out of nowhere to potentially hurt all of us."

"Do you know where he went?" Alaric asked.

"I have no idea," Sera said. "And, I am probably the last person that Klaus will tell anything to, given the fact that I snapped his neck."

"How much danger are we in now?" Alaric asked.

"Truthfully?" Sera said. "Now that Klaus knows that it's the doppelganger's blood that's needed to turn his hybrids, I think it's Elena that's in more potential danger than anyone else here."

Elena shifted awkwardly. Alaric sighed. "Alright, good to know. But, I'm not all that convinced that you are out of the woods, Sera."

"Neither am I," Stefan said.

Just then, the bell rang and the other students started filing into the classroom. Sera looked at her friends. "Don't worry," she said. "I have a wild card."

Elena, Alaric, and Caroline all looked at each other before Alaric headed to his desk and the others to their seats. "Welcome back, seniors,"** Alaric said. "Let's, uh, turn our brains back on, starting with this country's original founders, the Native Americans."**

"What about the Vikings?"**

Sera's eyes widened as she turned to her father, who has the same expression on his face, as Rebekah walked into the classroom. Sera looked back at Alaric as Rebekah took a seat.

"Well, there's no evidence that Viking explorers actually settled in the United States,"** Alaric replied. "Who are you?"**

"My name's Rebekah,"** She said. "I'm new and history's my favorite subject."**

Alaric looked from Rebekah to the row behind her. Elena slightly shook her head, while Caroline looked at Sera, who was trying to look like nothing was wrong. Stefan leaned over to whisper in his daughter's ear. "Why is she here?"

"My guess," Sera replied, as Alaric continued on with the lesson. "To make things difficult for me."

Rebekah turned her head slightly to smile at her great-niece, and in return received a half-assed attempt at a smile by Sera. Whatever was going to happen that day, it certainly wasn't going to be fun.

* * *

 _"If you honestly think that I can control an Original, you have problems."_

Sera rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Xavier, what is she doing here?"

 _"I have no idea. I didn't even know that she had left the house. She hates you, right? She's probably doing this to get under your skin."_

Sera shook her head. "This makes no sense," she said. "First, she shows up at the Boarding House and now at my school?"

 _"You think Klaus could be behind this?"_

"I don't know," Sera replied. "I'll have to talk to Elijah. He will be able to tell me."

 _"Want me to go and talk to him?"_

"Do you actually want to?"

 _"Not particularly."_

"I can deal with it after the bonfire," Sera said. She looked behind her at the cheerleaders practicing on the field. "I've got to go. Rebekah's now, apparently, interested in being a cheerleader."

Xavier laughed. _"Oh my god."_

Sera hung up and headed towards the field, where the football players had been released from practice early due to Tyler compelling the coach. Rebekah was now doing cartwheels as a means of showing off. Sera walked up to Caroline just as Tyler left to hit the showers. Rebekah turned towards them and smiled, almost triumphantly, as the other cheerleaders crowded around her.

"I can understand why you could hate her," Caroline said, glaring at the Original.

"Yeah, she can be really obnoxious when she wants to be," Sera said. "Don't let her get under her skin. Soon enough, she'll be bored and will move on."

"Is that a promise?"

Sera smirked. "That's a promise."

"Good," Caroline said. She turned to her friend. "Want to get ready for the bonfire at your house or at mine?"

"Considering that Rebekah will be at mine, how about yours?"

Caroline smiled. "Good thinking," she said. "My house in an hour?"

Sera gave her a thumbs up as Caroline started to head to get her bag. "I'll be there."

"Heading to the bonfire?"

Sera turned and found her great-aunt standing behind her. "Are you?"

"I am a student here now," Rebekah said. "I was invited."

"Look, I don't know what you're doing here," Sera said. "I don't know if you're here to annoy me or to try and get with my dad, but as long as you don't do anything violent to my friends or to any of the other students, I don't really care."

Sera walked past Rebekah but was stopped by Rebekah's voice. "Maybe I want to make things right between us again," she said. "Maybe I want things to go back to the way they were."

Sera turned and looked at Rebekah. "I'll believe that when I see it."

Sera turned once more and headed towards the parking lot, leaving Rebekah standing by herself.

* * *

The bonfire was, of course, overcrowded with people. Everyone was dancing, drinking, and smoking. Damon and Xavier had decided to come as well, no doubt due to Stefan's invitation. Stefan and Alaric believed that Klaus would make some sort of move at the bonfire and they believed that Sera was going to be one of his targets, along with Elena. But, Sera tried to ignore the fact that her uncle and cousin had been assigned as her and Elena's "bodyguards" for the night and tried to have fun with her friends.

"Hey, have you seen Stefan?" Elena asked, walking up to Sera and handing her a cup. "I haven't seen him."

"Last I saw, he was talking to Rebekah," Sera said. "Haven't seen him since."

"You don't think they…"

Sera let out a laugh. "Yeah, no," she said. "As much as it makes me cringe to think the two of them dated at one point, I know that my dad's not going to go down that rabbit hole again. Not when he now knows that Rebekah and I are related."

"Is she seriously staying at your house?"

Sera nodded. "It's complicated."

"We should go find them," Elena said. She started to take off into the woods, away from the bonfire.

Sera finished her drink and then followed. "Elena, wait up!"

Xavier appeared at her side and followed her. "Sera, what's going on?"

"Elena's looking for Dad," Sera replied. "She thinks he went off with Rebekah."

They followed Elena into a clearing, where the noises of the party were muted. "Stefan?" Elena called out. "Stefan, where are you?"

"He's right here."

The trio whipped around at the sound of the voice and found Klaus standing behind them, and Stefan pinned to a tree with a stake embedded in his stomach. "Klaus…" Sera said, softly.

"You didn't think that I would let what happened last night go without retribution, did you?" Klaus said. He smiled. "You should know me better than that, Serafina."

"You were gone," Sera said. "Rebekah said that you left town and abandoned her here."

"I was and I did," Klaus said. "And, I don't plan on staying long, but I wanted to get this done so that I can continue on with my current mission."

Stefan made an attempt of saying something, but it sounded like he had been gagged. Klaus smiled at his great-niece. "Don't mind him," he said. "I compelled him to not say a word until what I came here to do is done. But, if I had a guess, I'd assume he's telling you three to run while you still can."

"What did you come here to do?" Xavier asked.

Klaus smiled at him. "What Sera prevented the other night, of course."

Just then, out of nowhere, Tyler was behind Xavier and snapping his neck. Xavier fell to the ground in a heap and Elena screamed. "Tyler, why are you doing this?"

"Because Klaus asked me to," Tyler replied.

Sera closed her eyes in recognition as Elena turned to the Original Hybrid. "What is he talking about?"

"It's called a sire bond, Love," Klaus said. "Tyler will do everything that I say simply because I made him. It's quite convenient, especially in this case." Klaus looked at Tyler. "Tyler, bind my niece," he said. "Make sure she can't use her magic to stop me this time."

Sera moved to shove Tyler back with her magic, but he managed to overpower her and pin her arms behind her back. Tyler forced Sera to her knees. Sera grunted. "Tyler, I know we don't know each other well, but please, don't do this," she said. "Please."

Tyler said nothing and looked at Klaus as he held Sera in place. Klaus smiled and looked at Stefan, who had a furious look on his face. "Now, where were we," he said. "Ah, yes! I remember!" Klaus looked deep into Stefan's eyes. "Turn it off."**

Elena started shaking her head and Sera struggled against Tyler's grip. "Klaus, don't do this," Elena said. "Leave him alone!"

Klaus looked at her. "He is going to do it or Sera will pay the consequences," he said. He turned back to Stefan. "Turn it off."**

Stefan shook his head in protest, still unable to speak due to Klaus's compulsion. Sera's brown irises turned blood red and she used her magic to throw Tyler into one of the trees behind them. Tyler hit the tree and fell to the ground with a thud. Sera looked at the newborn hybrid with an almost sad expression in her eyes. "Forgive me," she said. From her kneeling position on the ground, Sera twisted her wrist, using her magic to snap Tyler's neck, rendering him unconscious. Just as Sera stood, Klaus yelled. "Turn it off!"**

And, third time was the charm. Sera watched as Stefan's humanity switch was switched off by Klaus's compulsion. The look on Stefan's face was one that Sera had hoped she would never see again. Klaus turned to his great-niece with a successful smile on his face. "That's better," he said. "Got to run. The to-do list is getting a little large. But, I'll be back, you can count on that. Until then, have fun with the Ripper." Klaus turned back to Stefan and pulled the stake out of his stomach. "Oh and, Ripper, do watch over my doppelganger for me," he said. He looked at Elena. "She has what I need."

In a flash, Klaus was gone, off to do some sort of nefarious deed. Stefan looked at his daughter and smiled his sly, Ripper smile before racing off into the woods himself. Elena looked at her friend. "Where is he going?"

"To wreak havoc, I'm sure."

"We have to go after him!" Elena exclaimed.

"We won't be able to stop him right now," Sera said. "We need to get Xavier and Tyler out of here, find the others, and tell them what happened. We need to come up with a plan." Sera's eyes went back to their normal brown as she moved to get her cousin. "Go and find Alaric and Damon."

Elena did as she was told, leaving Sera alone with the unconscious boys. It was then and only then that she let the tears fall down her cheeks. Her father was the Ripper once more. How long before he'd be able to break from the Ripper's grip this time?

* * *

"Serafina, calm down," Elijah said. "Tell me what happened."

Sera had headed straight for Celia's old house after getting Xavier back to the Boarding House and Tyler back to his family's mansion. She had given Damon and Alaric a run-down about what had happened in the woods, sparing no detail. When she and Damon had returned to the Boarding House with Xavier in tow, Sera told her uncle that she needed to go and talk to Elijah. Damon agreed and sat down to wait for Xavier to wake up as Sera left the Boarding House. Now, she was pacing back and forth across her mother's living room as Elijah sat calmly on the couch.

"Klaus happened!" Sera exclaimed. "To get back at me for snapping his neck last night, he cornered my father and compelled him to shut off his humanity. Now, we have to deal with that on top of everything else Klaus is trying to screw up."

"And, I can't compel Stefan to turn his humanity back on," Elijah said, thinking.

"Oh, I know," Sera said. "Believe me, I already thought of that. God, why does Klaus have to be like this?"

"You know your uncle," Elijah said. "You attack and he will attack back. It doesn't matter if you're family or not."

"All of this just seems so unnecessary," Sera said. She stopped pacing and looked at her grandfather. "What do I do now?"

Elijah sighed. "For now, I would focus on trying to get Stefan to turn his humanity back on," he said. "Niklaus already has the answer to his hybrid problem, so I doubt that he will bother you too much for the time being."

"I think you're being a little too optimistic."

"Stefan is probably going to distract Niklaus enough that he won't focus on whatever plan he is cooking up next," Elijah said. "No doubt your father is furious with Niklaus about what he forced him to do over the summer, not to mention all that he's done to you as of late. My brother has awakened a monster that will come directly for him."

"But, that also means that he will come after the rest of our family too."

Elijah nodded. "Most likely."

Sera sighed. "I can do another locator spell to find out where Klaus is keeping the coffins now," she said. "No doubt he's moved them since last night. Do you have anything of theirs that I can use?"

"I doubt it, but I will try to think of something. Perhaps your mother kept some of their things too," Elijah replied. "I'll search the house."

Sera thought for a moment. "I have already searched through my stuff, so I know that I don't have anything," she said. She looked at her grandfather. "I guess I'll have to go and search through Rebekah's things. God knows she won't tell me anything."

"Why would you have access to Rebekah's things?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Sera said, annoyance and frustration coming back to her voice. "She's living with me now."

Elijah's eyebrows raised in surprise. "That I never expected to see," he said. "At least for another century or two."

"Yeah, same here," Sera said. "But, apparently, Klaus abandoned her and left her with nowhere to go. So, she showed up at my house this morning and just assumed that I would take her in because she's family. She has instituted a 'temporary truce'. And, she has even enrolled herself in my school."

"Why would she do that?"

"Either to annoy me or be close to my dad, I really don't know," Sera said. "Did you know that they dated back in the '20s? That was a lovely bit of information that Klaus dropped on me back in Chicago."

Elijah nodded. "Yes, I did," he said. "And, she still carries a torch for him after all this time?"

"Who knows?" Sera said. "But, I wouldn't be surprised if she did. So, that's another thing I have to add to my to-do list: make sure that my aunt doesn't start dating my father again."

"I would put that at the bottom of your list," Elijah suggested. "Focus first on getting Stefan to turn his humanity back on, second on what my brother is doing next, and third on making sure that Rebekah finds another paramour. I can help you with the second and third things, but the first seems more like a Salvatore family problem than anything else."

"Then, we're screwed."

Elijah stood and put his hands on his granddaughter's shoulders. "You were able to break Stefan's original compulsion, weren't you?" He said. "Haven't you brought him back from the brink countless times already?" Sera nodded, but didn't say anything. "Then, you can do it again. I have faith that you will be able to help your father, just like you've done before. Get whoever else Stefan truly cares about to help you, if need be, but you can do this."

Sera nodded. "Thanks, Gramps."

Elijah brought Sera into his embrace. "Go back home and tell Damon what we discussed," he said, as the two pulled away from each other. "See if he agrees and then move on from there. Just keep me updated."

Sera nodded, again. "I will."

She headed for the door and Elijah watched as she left and closed the door behind her.

* * *

 **I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	7. You Never Forget Your First

Damon's cries of pain weren't something that Xavier expected to hear when he came back from his early morning run.

He found his father chained to a chair in the middle of the Boarding House's living room and being roasted by the sun. He used his Vampire Speed to shut the curtains and grabbed Damon's daylight ring from the floor next to him. "Dad, what the hell happened?"

Damon was breathing through the pain as his son ripped the chains off of him. "I'm not sure," Damon replied. "I thought that this was your uncle's doing."

"Uncle Stefan wouldn't do something like this," Xavier said. "Even in his Ripper state."

Damon gave his son a look. "Then, you clearly don't know the Ripper version of your uncle very well at all," he said. "But, Stefan didn't seem to know anything about this when he found me so I'm beginning to think that it was someone else."

Xavier finished removing Damon's restraints and helped his father to stand, giving him back his daylight ring. "I'm going to ignore the part where you said that Uncle Stefan left you chained up and focus on the part where you think you know who did this."

Damon slipped his ring back on his finger. "Mason Lockwood."

"Mason Lockwood?" Xavier repeated. "Why would he do something like this to you?"

"Because I did it to him," Damon replied. "Right before I killed him."

Xavier started to follow Damon to the Boarding House's basement. "Wait, you're telling me that a ghost did this to you?" He asked. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know," Damon said. "But, I know a witch who might."

Xavier sighed as Damon grabbed one of the blood bags from the freezer. "Doesn't Sera have enough to deal with already?"

"Yes, she does," Damon said. "Which is why I'm going to go to our other town witch." Damon turned and started to head back upstairs. "You should probably tell your cousin what's happening though," he continued. "Just in case."

Xavier rolled his eyes and grabbed a blood bag for himself before following Damon upstairs.

* * *

"You're telling me that Uncle Damon got chained up by a ghost?"

 _"You would have seen that for yourself if you had been at home this morning. Where were you all night?"_

Sera sighed. "Aside from getting you back home after the disaster at the Bonfire, I went to see Elijah," she explained. "After that, I went to Caroline's because I just didn't want to deal with what was going on at home."

 _"Did you tell Caroline what happened?"_

"Of course I did," Sera said. "I needed a shoulder to cry on. Sue me."

 _"Sera, I'm not mad at you. It's ok that you went to your friend. That's what friends are for."_

"Yeah, I know," Sera said. "So, is Uncle Damon ok?"

 _"He seems fine. He's going to talk to Bonnie about what happened. I don't know though, I got the impression that she might know something about it."_

"Works for me," Sera said. "Listen, I've got to talk to you and Uncle Damon later about what I discussed with Elijah. Can you both try and be home later?"

 _"We all know that I don't have anywhere to go right now. Yeah, I'll be here."_

"Good," Sera said. "I'll be home at some point today. I think I might try and see where Dad ran off to after last night."

 _"Alright. Call me if you need me."_

"As always."

Sera sighed as she slid her phone back in her pocket. She sat down on a nearby bench and put her head in her hands. "I wish you were here, Mom," she said, softly. "You would know exactly what to do."

"I'm always here, Sweetheart. I've never left you."

Sera's head shot up and her eyes widened. "Mom?"

Celia Mikaelson stood before her daughter, looking no older than seventeen or eighteen years old. She was even wearing modern clothing. "You can see me?"

"Yes, I can see you," Sera said, standing. "I can hear you…" She walked over and gently touched her mother's arm. "I can touch you." The mother and daughter looked at each other before hugging each other. "Oh my god, you're really here!"

"I can't even tell you how much I have missed this," Celia said. She pulled away and moved some of Sera's hair away from her face. "I've missed you so much."

"Mom…you look so…young…"

Celia smiled. "Perks of being a witch," she said. "You can use magic, even on the Other Side."

"How can I see you right now?"

"Someone must have used a manifestation spell," Celia said. "Though, why anyone would want to do that is beyond me." Celia looked at her daughter. "Where is your father?"

Sera shrugged. "I have no idea," she admitted. "Last night…"

"I know what happened last night," Celia said. "I've been watching over you from the moment I had to leave you. That's why we need to find him."

Just then, Sera's phone started ringing. "Now is not the time, Elena…"

 _"I know where Stefan is. I'm with him and with Lexi at the old jail."_

"Lexi?" Sera looked at Celia, whose eyes had narrowed in confusion. "I'm on my way." Sera hung up and looked at her mother. "Apparently, Aunt Lexi is here too."

Celia nodded. "Good," she said. "If anyone knows how to help your father, it's her. And, you."

"Don't sell yourself short, Mom," Sera said. "Dad is going to go nuts when he sees you again."

Celia gave her daughter a small smile and they headed to the old jail.

* * *

Celia and Sera climbed down the stairs and found Elena waiting just outside the cell door. "How bad is it?" Sera asked.

"It's bad," Elena replied. "Lexi is in there with him now." Elena's eyes fell onto Celia. "Who's this?"

Sera looked from Elena, to her mother, and back again. "This is my mother," she said. "Celia Mikaelson." Sera looked at her mother. "Mom, this is Elena Gilbert. Dad's current girlfriend."

Celia was amazed at the resemblance Elena bore to her old enemy, Katherine Pierce. Then, she remembered that Elena was the doppelganger and she smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Elena couldn't help but feel awkward upon meeting the first love of Stefan's life, not to mention the mother of his only child. Celia was beautiful and the resemblance between her and Sera was almost uncanny. "I've heard a lot about you."

Just then, the door to the cell opened and Lexi appeared. She smiled. "Sera!" She said. "Long time, no see!"

"Aunt Lexi," Sera returned the smile. "Pleasure, as always."

Lexi had been a part of Sera's life for as long as she could remember. Long before becoming Stefan's best friend in the 1860s, Lexi had been Celia's best friend as well, the two of them having met when Lexi was still a human. Lexi turned to Celia and smiled. "Glad you're here too, Celia," she said. "Maybe you'll be able to break him this time."

"Is he that bad?" Celia asked.

Lexi shrugged. "See for yourself."

She opened the door to reveal Stefan chained to a chair in the middle of the room. Sera and Celia peered inside, but didn't make their presence known to him yet. "How far gone is he?" Sera asked, turning to look at Lexi.

"Five years, give or take a few," Lexi replied.

Sera nodded as Celia looked sadly upon Stefan. She always hated seeing him in such a state. Just then, both Sera and Elena's phones rang at the same time. Lexi looked at her longtime friend. "I know you hate seeing him like this," she said. "But, you may be able to help him."

Celia shook her head. "It's been decades, Lexi."

"And, he hasn't stopped loving you throughout all of them," Lexi said. She motioned to Elena, who was still talking on the phone. "She is the first girl that I've seen him take an interest in since you died."

"What about my aunt?"

Lexi waved her hand. "Rebekah doesn't count. That was a fling, nothing more." she said. "My point is that he has never stopped loving you, Celia. He never will. If Sera can't break him out of it this time, I think you can."

Celia looked back at Stefan as Sera came back over to them. "That was Xavier. There's a problem in the Town Square," Sera said.

"Go," Celia said, with a nod. "I'll help him this time."

Lexi put a hand on Sera's shoulder. "We'll take care of him, Sera," she said. "Just like we used to."

Sera nodded and then looked at her mother. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she said. "I don't want you to leave without saying goodbye."

Celia smiled at her. "I won't, I promise."

Sera hesitated for a moment before turning and heading back up the stairs. Elena soon finished her phone conversation and returned to the group. "Where's Sera?"

"She's dealing with something else at the moment," Lexi said.

"I can't stay either," Elena said. "I don't know if I can watch this…"

"Don't worry. Celia was helping Stefan long before Sera ever had to take up that mantel," Lexi said. "Come back when you can."

Elena looked at Celia and watched as Celia turned and began to head into the room before heading up the stairs herself. Stefan looked up when he heard the footsteps and the expression on his face turned from anger to shock.

"Celia?"

Celia smiled. "Hello, my love," she said.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

Celia approached him and put her hand on his cheek. "I had to see you again," she said. "I want to help you."

"Please," Stefan said. "Please. Let me go. Get me out of here, Celia, please!"

Celia shook her head. "Not yet, Stefan," she said. "Not until you are yourself again."

"But, I love you…"

"I love you too, Stefan," Celia said. "And, that's why I can't let you go."

Stefan's expression turned back to one of rage. "You broke my heart once and, here you are, breaking it again," he said. "I don't need you! I hate you!"

Celia's eyes never left him as Lexi handed her a wooden stake. "You're lying, Stefan," she said. "Ripper or not, I know the truth."

Celia broke the stake in half over her knee and threw the pieces to the side. Lexi grabbed the pieces. "Celia, what are you doing?"

"There is more than one way to make a man feel something, Lexi," Celia said. "You have your way of doing things, I have mine."

"What?" Stefan said, with a taunting smile. "Don't have the guts to run me through? Maybe you're weaker than I thought."

Celia shook her head. "I'm not weak, Stefan," she said.

"Yes, you are," Stefan said. "And, you passed that weakness onto Sera. If she had the strength to kill the members of her family who threatened us, we would not be in this position. All of this could have been avoided if she had just had the nerve to do what needs to be done. But, she doesn't. Oh, she may talk a good game, but when push comes to shove, she doesn't have it in her to go against them. Just like you."

"Stefan, you know that isn't true," Celia said. "This is the Ripper talking."

"I've witnessed it myself."

"Family isn't weakness, Stefan," Celia replied. "It's strength. Love is strength."

She leaned in and kissed him, a passionate kiss the likes of which they hadn't shared in over one hundred years. Celia broke away and looked into the eyes of the only man she had ever truly loved. Stefan blinked a few times and looked at her, a genuine smile breaking out across his face. "Celia…"

Celia smiled. "There he is," she said. "There's the man I love."

Stefan smiled and the two kissed again. "I've missed you so much," he said. He took a closer look at her. "You look…"

"I know," Celia smiled. "I look good for my age. Just like you."

Stefan laughed as Lexi moved to unchain her friend. "Glad to have you back," she said. "And, I'm glad that that worked.

"No, wait," Stefan said. "Don't unchain me."

Celia and Lexi looked at each other. "Why?"

"Klaus can't know that you've brought me back," Stefan said, looking at Celia. "If he finds out, then he'll just do it again and neither one of you will be here to help me."

"But, Sera will be here…"

"I'm not going to put Sera in that position again."

"Act."

Stefan looked at Celia. "What?"

"Act like you're still the Ripper," Celia said. "You don't want my uncle to know that the Ripper is gone, so act like the Ripper is still here. Pretend. Just tell the family the truth, no one else."

"That seems risky," Lexi said. "Especially when dealing with an Original."

"It won't be," Celia said. "Not when his anger towards my uncle is real."

Stefan nodded. "That won't be a problem," he said. "After everything Klaus has done, anger comes naturally."

Celia smiled as Lexi unchained Stefan and he stood. He hugged both Celia and Lexi. "I don't know how I've gotten this far without either of you."

"That's an easy one," Lexi said. "You have Sera."

"Not to mention your brother and nephew," Celia added.

Stefan smiled. "That I do."

"Speaking of, we really should go and find Sera," Celia said. "I don't know how much longer we have until I have to disappear and I promised her that I would say goodbye."

"Not long," Lexi said. She looked at the ceiling above them, as if hearing noises from above. "They must be closing the portal." She looked at Stefan. "Try not to get yourself in anymore trouble, alright?"

Stefan smiled. "I can't make any promises."

Lexi smiled and looked at Celia. "I'll see you soon."

Celia nodded and Lexi was gone. "Come on," Celia said, grabbing Stefan's hand. "Let's find our daughter."

* * *

Celia was standing by the fireplace as Stefan came into the living room of the Boarding House. "I've called Sera," he said. "She and Xavier are on their way back here now."

"Good," Celia said, turning to look at him. "Is everything alright? Sera never said where she had to run off to."

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," Stefan said. "Just a problem with some dead vampires."

Celia laughed. "If that is something that I shouldn't concern myself with, I don't want to know what I actually do need to concern myself with."

Stefan smiled at her. "I still can't believe that you are here," he said. "I can't believe Lexi was here either."

"I know," Celia replied. "I can't believe it myself. I've spent so much time watching from the Other Side that it's hard to believe that I can actually touch you again." She reached out and touched Stefan's arm. "It's wonderful, to say the least."

Stefan put his hand on Celia's cheek. "Why didn't you tell me who you were related to?"

Celia put her hand on Stefan's and stared into his eyes. "I did," she said. "Once you were turned."

Stefan blinked a few times. "No, you didn't, I would have remembered..." He stopped and closed his eyes. "I was compelled, wasn't I?"

Celia nodded. "My father didn't approve of you knowing who I was, so he compelled you one night to forget you ever knew that information," she admitted. "He was too afraid that you would turn against my family and lead to their destruction. I tried to tell him how ridiculous that sounded, given my and Sera's existence, but he wouldn't listen. In case you hadn't noticed, we Mikaelsons are a stubborn bunch."

Stefan walked away from Celia and sat down on the couch. "So, I've been compelled to forget things twice by Originals," he said. "Wonderful. I wonder what other parts of my life I don't remember."

"None," Celia said. "You have all of your memories back now, I promise."

Stefan looked at her. "Why did you have Sera lie to us?"

"Because there was no point in my father compelling you if Sera would just eventually say something."

"Was Sera compelled?"

Celia shook her head. "Just sworn to secrecy."

Stefan nodded and Celia took a seat next to him. "Are you mad at me?"

Stefan looked at her. "I can't be mad at you," he said. "Knowing what your family is like, I almost understand." He gave her a small smile. "At least he didn't make me forget you completely."

"I would never have allowed that," Celia said. "As much as I hated what my father did to you, he knew that I loved you and that I would never forgive him if he sent you away completely. Plus, he didn't want to deprive Sera of her father."

"Your uncle doesn't feel the same way."

Celia sighed. "Uncle Nik is complicated, to say the least," she said. "But, must we spend our time together talking of my family? I don't want to spend our last bits of time together talking about that."

"It's hard not to when your family seems to be in attack mode against us," Stefan said. "But, you're right. I don't want this to be the last thing we talk about either."

"Last time, the last words we shared together were about you being happy even when I was gone," Celia said. "Are you happy, Stefan?"

"More or less," Stefan admitted. "It's hard to say when things have been in a constant state of drama for the better part of a year. But, there have been moments. Things got significantly better when Sera came home."

"I could tell," Celia said.

"And, you?" Stefan asked. "Are you happy?"

"I'm happy watching you and the others," Celia said. "The only thing that would make it better would be if I could come back to you. But, I will count my blessings and take what I can get."

Stefan and Celia leaned into each other and their foreheads touched. "You're going to need to talk to Elena about what has happened between us here tonight," she said. "It's the right thing to do."

"I know," Stefan said, softly.

"I'm hope that she will understand," Celia said. "After all, how many chances does one get to reunite with their dead fiance?"

Stefan smiled and the two kissed once more. "Sera's pulling into the driveway now," he whispered.

"Good," she said. She pulled away and looked at him. "My time is running out."

* * *

After finding and helping Caroline fight off the Tomb Vampires, who had come to exact their revenge on the Founding Families, Sera and Xavier raced home, hoping to catch Celia before she had to disappear back over to the Other Side. A phone call from a recently released Stefan told them that Celia was with him back at the Boarding House and that the Ripper was gone.

"Mom?" Sera called out, as Xavier closed the door behind them. "Dad?"

"In here."

Sera and Xavier raced into the living room and found Celia sitting with Stefan by the fire. They both stood and Sera raced into her mother's arms. "You're still here," she said.

"But, not for long," Celia said. "The magic is trying to pull me back as we speak. I don't have much time." She pulled away and looked at her daughter. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," she said. "And, I love you with all my heart and more."

Sera had tears in her eyes. "I love you too, Mom."

Celia smiled at her and then turned to Xavier. "Come here."

Xavier hugged the only mother he had ever known. "I never thought I'd see you again," he whispered.

"I know," Celia said. "And, you probably won't see me for a very, very long time. But, just like with Sera, I'm always watching over you." She pulled away and looked at him. "I love you, Xavier. And, I'm proud of you too."

Xavier smiled. "I love you too, Celia."

Celia smiled and turned to look at Stefan, as Sera and Xavier backed away from the fireplace. "You'll have to tell your brother that I said hi," she said. "I don't think that I can wait for him."

Stefan nodded. "He'll be sorry that he missed you."

Celia laughed. "I'm sure he will be." She and Stefan leaned in and kissed for the last time. "I've never stopped loving you, Celia," Stefan whispered. "I never will."

"And I've never stopped loving you, even in death," Celia said. She turned to her daughter. "Tell your grandfather that I would have come to see him if I could," she said. "But, there was just not enough time."

Sera nodded. "I will, I promise."

She looked at the three of them and gave them a sad smile. "I will always watch over you," she said. "Until we meet again." Celia closed her eyes and, in an instant, she was gone.

Sera felt a tear roll down her cheek and Xavier put his arm around her shoulders. Stefan turned and looked at his daughter and nephew. "We need to go and talk to Elijah."

* * *

 **I know that this may have been a slightly corny chapter, but I am trying to set the basis for Stefan and Celia's relationship** **which will, hopefully, turn into it's own prequel story! I've never done a Canon/OC relationship in a fanfic before (aside from brief mentions, no hard core scenes or anything like that, from what I can remember), so this should be really fun! I want to start to explore what** **they mean/meant to each other and see how that previous relationship might affect things in the future (like in this case where Celia broke Stefan's Ripper Hold earlier than in the actual show). Plus, in 3x07, Lexi says "Once he's weak enough, you have to cause him pain. Make him feel things. Anger, rage, anything..." So, I figured, why couldn't that feeling be love or regret at a love lost?**

 **Anyways, I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	8. A Mikaelson Family History Lesson

Sera and Stefan sat in an awkward silence as they waited for Elijah to respond to the news that they had brought him. The Original Vampire was staring at his feet, as if trying to hide the fact that he was upset by what he had heard.

"You mean to tell me that my daughter was able to return to this earth and she didn't bother to come and see me?" He looked up at his granddaughter and her father. "Did she even know that I was in town?"

"She did," Stefan said, with a nod. "She said that she's been watching over us since she died. She knows all that has happened. But, time and circumstances forced her to…"

"You mean you forced her to," Elijah interrupted, his voice filled with anger. "Because, if you hadn't gotten yourself into such a desperate state, she wouldn't have had to spend so much time trying to bring you back."

"I was only in that state because of your brother," Stefan replied, the anger in his voice matching Elijah's. "Don't even start with me, Elijah. Celia just told me that you compelled me to forget that she was related to you back in 1864 and, believe me, I am not happy about it."

"With good reason!" Elijah shot back.

"Alright, enough!" Sera cut in as Elijah and Stefan glared at each other. "There is no point in getting in an argument. We can't change what happened. We need to focus on the task at hand."

"Serafina is right," Elijah said. "We need to put aside any hostilities that we have towards each other and focus on our current problems." He sighed. "So, Celia suggested that you continue to act like the Ripper?"

Stefan nodded. "She thought that I would be able to trick Klaus if I did."

Elijah shook his head. "My brother is not a fool, despite his behavior," he said. "He will see through the ruse the moment that he asks the Ripper to do something that you would never do. So, no, I don't agree with my daughter's suggestion."

"So, what do you suggest?" Sera asked.

"We wait for Klaus's next move," Elijah said. "And, respond accordingly. But, I am not of a mind to continue hiding here any longer."

"But, Gramps…"

"I can advise you from any place, Serafina," Elijah said. "I can't hide here forever. I might as well let my siblings know that I am here. Perhaps they will behave differently if they know that I have returned."

"Or, Klaus could dagger you again," Stefan said.

Elijah glared at the man his daughter loved. "That won't happen again," he said. "You can count on that."

Stefan leaned back in his seat as Elijah turned his attention back on his granddaughter. "I won't burden you by moving into the Boarding House," he said. "Truthfully, I enjoy living here for the time being. It's the closest I've felt to your mother in a long time. But, it will not be a secret any longer." Sera nodded and Elijah turned back to Stefan. "My brother has hurt you and your family in ways that I do not agree with," he said. "I understand if you still want your revenge. But, I will advise you to be careful. As Serafina and I can attest, and as you have seen yourself, Klaus will retaliate if you attack him. Choose your moments wisely."

"Are you giving me permission to go after your brother?" Stefan asked.

"Within reason," Elijah replied. "And, I offer you my assistance. But, first, it is time for me to reunite with my sister."

* * *

"Hey, Xavier, can we talk for a second? I need advice."

Xavier looked up when he heard the voice and found Elena standing before him. "Me?" He said. "Are you sure you want to talk to me? Sera's out right now, but she should be back any time..."

Elena shook her head. "No, I need to talk to you. I can't talk to Sera. Not about this."

Xavier sighed. "This is about Celia, isn't it?"

Elena nodded. "Stefan told me about what happened that day," she said. She sat down next to Xavier on the couch. "He told me how Celia pulled him back and how she...how she kissed him to make it happen. And, how they spent the rest of the night together and..."

"And, you're feeling jealous?" Xavier asked. "Angry? Hurt?"

Elena shrugged. "That's my problem. I don't know exactly what I feel," she admitted. "Part of me does feel hurt, the other part of me feels like I should just let this go. I just don't know."

"You have to keep in mind that Uncle Stefan and Celia were together for about fifty years before she died," Xavier explained. "They may not have gotten married, officially, but they acted as if they were a married couple...or as much as they could given their supernatural natures. Celia was Stefan's first love, not to mention the mother of his daughter. They went through a lot together. It's only natural that he would still have feelings for her and vice versa."

"I know," Elena said. "So, why do I feel jealous?"

"Because you're human," Xavier said. "You have emotions, just like anyone else. It's understandable that you would feel that way when your boyfriend's ex comes back into the picture. But, she was only able to be back for one day. It's not as if she's still here. I wouldn't allow what happened that day to ruin what you and Uncle Stefan have."

Elena nodded. "You're right," she said. "You're absolutely right. I'm being an idiot. Thank you for helping me."

"No problem," Xavier replied. "And, I'm sorry for what I said about you and my dad at the Lockwood party. I didn't mean to make you that upset. But, as you may have noticed, I can be a blunt person. I've been told that I inherited it from one of my parents, but, for the life of me, I can't figure out which one."

Elena laughed as Xavier smiled. "I think I have a guess."

Xavier laughed a little. "But, seriously, I'm sorry," he said. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt. Whether that's you or my dad or Uncle Stefan."

"I love your uncle," Elena said. "I don't plan on hurting him."

Xavier gave her a look of what could almost be considered pity. "I know that you wouldn't do it intentionally," he said, with a serious tone to his voice. "But, I also know what I have been seeing these last few months." Elena stared at him for a moment. Xavier smiled at her in a way that reminded her of Damon. "Let's hope that I am wrong. We certainly don't need relationship drama amongst our Original drama, right?"

He stood and Elena stood along with him. "Yeah, right," she said. "Thanks, again, Xavier. This really helped."

"You're welcome."

Just then, Elena's phone began to ring and she answered it, taking a few steps away to talk to Alaric as Xavier poured himself a drink. He shook his head as he took a sip, knowing full well that Elena was in the midst of a very sticky situation and that, no matter what, someone was going to get hurt.

* * *

"Aww, that's so romantic!"

Sera laughed at Caroline's reaction to her parents' reunion. After talking with Elijah, Sera met Caroline for lunch at the Grille and brought her up to speed on everything that had happened while the ghosts walked among them. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

"They still love each other after all this time," Caroline said. She sighed dreamily. "That's something straight out of the movies. I'd kill for something like that." Sera gave her friend a strange look and Caroline quickly explained. "Not literally, of course," she said. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," Sera said, with a smile. "I'm just sad that she's gone again. Even though it was only for a day, I loved having her back."

"I can just imagine," Caroline said. "It must have been hard to see her disappear."

Sera nodded. "It was."

Caroline was quiet for a moment. "So, does Elena know what happened?" She asked. "About how Stefan and Celia…you know…"

Sera sighed. "I'm sure she does by now. Dad was going to go and talk to her after we talked with Elijah," she replied. "And, given how she reacted to what happened between Jeremy and Anna, I'm hoping she takes it well," She looked at Caroline. "In fact, I'm surprised that you aren't pissed about what happened between my parents."

"That's a different situation," Caroline said. "Your parents were together for, what? Forty or fifty years before your mom died? They had a child together. Your mom stood by Stefan through some of his darkest periods. Jeremy and Anna don't have the history that your parents do. Totally different circumstances."

"I suppose," Sera agreed. "I still don't think that Elena is going to be happy about it."

"She probably won't be, but I like to believe that she will at least understand," Caroline said. "Besides, weren't we just talking the other day about her potentially switching Salvatores?"

"Alright, can we switch topics, please?" Sera said. "That's dangerous territory that I don't want to get into right now."

"Fine," Caroline said. "How about you tell me how you're going to handle it when Klaus realizes that you woke Elijah up?"

Sera groaned. "I have no idea," she said. "I'm hoping that Elijah comes up with something."

"You've got to be careful, Sera," Caroline said. "I know that you said that Klaus won't hurt you, or whatever, but one of these days you're going to push him too far."

"I've been pushing him too far for a long, long time now and nothing has happened yet."

Caroline gave her friend a look as Sera opened the door to the Boarding House. "There's a first time for everything."

"Sera, glad you're here."

Sera and Caroline walked towards Xavier as he walked towards them. "What's up?"

"Alaric and Dad apparently found something that you need to go and take a look at in a cave underneath the Lockwood Mansion," Xavier said. "Maybe Elijah too, if he's available?"

"Elijah's reuniting with Rebekah as we speak," Sera said. "What did Alaric find?"

Xavier shrugged. "Beats me, but he wants your opinion," he said. "He said that whatever it is looks pretty old and, since you come from a very, very old family, he is hoping that you might be able to shed some light on what it is. He wants us to meet him. Apparently Dad, Uncle Stefan, and Elena are already there."

"Sounds like a fun afternoon," Caroline said. "I'd love to stay and help but I have other things that I need to do more than stand around in a cave."

Caroline gave Sera a smile before turning and heading back out of the Boarding House. "There is one catch, though," Xavier continued.

"Which is?"

"Dad and Uncle Stefan can't get into the cave," Xavier said. "Not fully, anyway. Apparently, it's like they need to be invited in."

"So, what's going to make us be able to enter?"

"Not us," Xavier said. "You."

"Me?"

"Like I said, Sera, Alaric thinks that this has something to do with your family," Xavier started to explain. "It stands to reason that only members of your family could enter. He thinks that you might be able to pass through the barrier because of that."

"I suppose that would depend on who put the barrier up," Sera replied.

"If it was Celia, I think that we have a winning shot." Xavier motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

* * *

Unlike what Alaric expected, Sera was not able to enter into the cave to get a good look at the drawings he and Damon had discovered. But, fortunately, Alaric had another solution to that problem. He had taken at least a hundred – or what felt like a hundred – pictures of the cave's engravings to give Sera a chance to confirm their authenticity.

Sera confirmed that everything that Alaric and Damon had figured out had been true: that the names on the cave's wall were, indeed, of the Originals, that the engravings were at least a millennia old, and that Mikael was, indeed, as Damon put it, "Papa Original". Now, they were back at the Boarding House. Sera was helping Alaric piece the story together. Xavier was standing over Alaric's shoulder, watching as he and Sera worked, while Stefan, Damon, and Elena waited for information on the couch.

"That is the picture for vampire," Xavier was explaining to Alaric, as Sera studied the photographs. "And, that one is for werewolf. These pictures tell the story of Sera's family."

"Since when are you able to figure out ancient Viking drawings?" Damon asked.

"Since I was raised by an ancient Viking witch," Xavier replied.

"Fair point."

One photo in particular caught Sera's attention and she was studying it intently when she heard her uncle's next question. "Don't you already know what the weapon is, Sera?" Damon asked. "You're a member of the Original Family. You must be in on their secrets."

"You're not wrong," Sera said, putting the photo down and turning to look at him. "But, I don't know where it is. Most likely, Mikael has it."

"And, there's no way that anyone in your family is going to help us track him down for fear of him using the weapon on them," Alaric concluded.

"I'm confused," Stefan said. "Why would Mikael want to kill his own children?"

"Because of what they became," Sera replied. "Though, it was Mikael's damn fault to begin with."

"What do you mean?" Alaric asked.

Sera began recounting the story of the Mikaelson family, starting with the family's early beginnings in Europe before they fled Europe for a new world that hadn't been discovered yet.

"My mother was born right around the time that youngest Mikaelson, Henrik, was killed," Sera said. "Her mother died in childbirth and Elijah seemed destined to raise her alone. Except for the fact that everything changed after Henrik's death and Elijah's destiny took a different turn."

Sera continued on with the story, telling them how Mikael and his wife, Esther, had used magic to turn their children into vampires as a means of protection after Henrik's death at the hands of the werewolves, how Mikael wanted to be the superior being, and dropped the bomb, to everyone, that Esther was the Original Witch that they had heard so much about.

"My mother ended up being raised by some witch friends of Esther's," Sera said. "And, when she was old enough and in control of her insane magical abilities, she left the village and followed after Elijah and his siblings. She wanted to know her family. She used magic to keep herself young until such a time as she met Dad in the 1860s and got pregnant. She was one of the most powerful witches I've ever met."

Sera continued once again, telling them how Esther used the magic to turn her children into vampires, how Mikael killed them to complete the transition, and then why Mikael ended up turning on his family. "His weapon is most likely made out of the same white oak tree that was used to create them," Sera concluded.

"That is one hell of a story, Sera," Alaric said.

"Tell me about it," Sera said.

"I understand why you never wanted to talk about them before," Damon said.

"Your family obviously possesses insane amounts of magic," Elena said. "Does that have anything to do with you becoming a hybrid?"

"A witch is nature's servant. A vampire is an abomination of nature. You can either be one or the other. Never both."** Everyone turned when they heard Rebekah's voice. She looked from Sera to the others as she continued. "How Sera managed to keep her powers when she turned is a mystery to all of us," Rebekah said. "No one in the family understood, none of the witches that Celia knew understood. That's why Sera became known as the Impossible Hybrid. Since she should have lost her powers when she turned, she is a walking, talking, impossibility. And, a powerful one, at that. She could even give Celia a run for her money and Celia was one of the most powerful witches I've ever known." Rebekah looked at her niece. "Enough history lessons," she said. "I want to talk to my niece." She looked back at the others. "Alone."

Sera looked back at her family and friends and nodded, as if giving them permission to leave. Alaric moved to gather the pictures, but Sera stopped him from taking the one she had been studying earlier. "This is something that Rebekah needs to know," she whispered.

Alaric nodded and gathered the rest of the pictures, putting them in his bag. He, Damon, Xavier and Elena made their way towards the front door, while Stefan stopped in front of Rebekah. "If you harm her in any way…"

"Relax, Stefan," Rebekah said. "You don't think I'd actually hurt my own niece, do you?"

"With you and your family, anything is possible," Stefan replied, giving her a fake smile. He walked past her and went outside, closing the door behind him.

Rebekah looked at Sera. "Giving away all the family secrets, are you?"

"Nothing that you wouldn't have told, had you been asked for the story," Sera replied.

"How long were you going to keep the fact that Elijah was awake a secret from me?" Rebekah asked, changing topics and getting right to the point as Sera stood from her seat. "And, Celia was here and you didn't tell me that either? What the hell, Sera?"

"Look, there wasn't a whole lot of time when Mom was here," Sera said. "She couldn't see everyone. She had to help with Dad."

"Oh, yes, I heard about that," Rebekah said. "What's your excuse for not telling me that Elijah was awake?"

"Because I don't know whose side you're on!" Sera replied. "One moment you're tying me up in the school gym and terrorizing my friends and the next you're moving in with me, calling a temporary truce, and trying to be my friend at school. I don't know what you're going to do next."

Rebekah crossed her arms. "It's like I said," she replied. "Maybe I do want things to be different between us."

Sera was about to speak when the door to the Boarding House opened and Caroline came walking in. "Hey, Sera!" She said. "How was your…" She stopped when she saw Rebekah standing there. "Oh."

"Can you go back the way you came?" Rebekah said. "We're in the middle of something here."

"What's going on?" Caroline asked.

"None of your business," Rebekah replied.

"It's fine, Caroline," Sera assured her. "Just a small, family matter, that's all. No big deal."

"Of course you would say something like that," Rebekah said. "Nothing concerning this family was ever a big deal to you."

"Stop it! You know that's not true!"

"So, what made you two hate each other in the first place?" Caroline asked, motioning between the two Mikaelson women.

Sera and Rebekah stared at each other, not taking their eyes off one another as Sera answered Caroline's question. "Rebekah blames me for my mother's death," she said. "She thinks that I refused to save her."

"What else am I supposed to think?" Rebekah said. "Celia was my niece. I knew her since the day that she was born. And, you did nothing to help her when she was sick and dying."

"She didn't want me to!"

Rebekah was shocked into silence. "What?"

"I've tried telling you this thousands of times, but you never listen," Sera said. "Mom didn't want to become a vampire. She wanted to die as she had been born. Dying was her wish. She may not have really wanted to leave us, but she didn't want to become what we had become. She was tired and she wanted peace. That's why I didn't turn her. That's why she died. Because she wanted to."

Rebekah stared at her great-niece for a moment and knew that she was telling the truth. She hugged her great-niece for the first time in over a century. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you. I should have listened to you. I should have known that you would have tried to save her life."

Sera hugged back. "If only you had listened to me sooner," she said. "We wouldn't have spent so much time fighting."

Rebekah pulled away and looked into her great-niece's eyes. "You want to kill Nik, don't you?" Sera said nothing in response, but that was the only answer that Rebekah needed. Rebekah took a step back. "We are your family too, Sera," she said. "I am not going to have a hand in my brother's death."

"Really?" Sera said. "What if I were to tell you that everything you believe about your mother's death is wrong?"

Rebekah blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw some very interesting drawings in a cave today," Sera said. "But, one set really stood out to me."

She grabbed the picture from the table and showed it to Rebekah. "It's the story of Esther's death, Rebekah," she said. "Mikael didn't kill her. Klaus did."

Rebekah started shaking her head as she sank to her knees, crying. Sera turned to Caroline, when she felt her friend's hand on her shoulder. "I should go," Caroline said. "Give you both some privacy. I'll talk to you later."

Sera nodded and turned back to her great-aunt as Caroline left the Boarding House. She knelt down on the floor in front of her. "I take it you believe me?" She said, somewhat unnecessarily. "Have you changed your mind about killing Klaus now?" Sera's phone began vibrating in her pocket and she got up and walked away from her crying aunt to answer it. "Dad," she said. "Is everything alright?"

" _Where are you?"_

"I'm still at home with Rebekah," Sera replied. "I just unloaded a big bit of news on her and she's not taking it all that well."

" _Yeah, well, whatever you did can wait. We just got cornered by Mikael at the bar."_

Sera froze. "He's awake?"

Rebekah's head shot up at the sound of that phrase and her tears stopped almost automatically. She quickly stood and walked over to her great-niece, concern written all over her face.

" _Yes, and if we don't bring Klaus back to Mystic Falls, we'll all pay the price. He's particularly interested in you, Sera, and I don't think it's because you're family."_

"Of course he is," Rebekah said, shaking her head. "I was hoping that this day would never come."

" _Stay at home, Sera. We'll be there soon. I'm going to call Elijah too. He needs to know what's going on."_

"What are we going to do about Klaus?" Sera asked.

" _I'm going to deal with getting Klaus back to Mystic Falls. Don't worry about it."_

"Dad, what are you going to do?"

" _What I have to. Love you, Princess."_

"Love you too, Dad."

Sera hung up the phone and looked at her aunt. "Why is Mikael interested in me?"

Rebekah shrugged. "You're the Impossible Hybrid, and a Mikaelson," she said. "Why wouldn't he be interested in you?"

Sera put her phone back in her pocket and went over to pour herself some of Damon's bourbon. "One of these days, I will find a perk to being a part of this family," she said. She drank her drink in one gulp. "And, it better be damn worth it."

* * *

 **I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	9. Death of a Patriarch

Elijah had arrived at the Boarding House no more than 15 minutes after Sera had gotten off of the phone with Stefan. "Where is he?"

"We have no idea," Rebekah replied, as Elijah closed the front door behind him and joined them in the living room. "All Stefan said was that Mikael cornered them in a bar. He could be anywhere."

"Fortunately, I don't think that he would know to look for this place," Elijah said. "That might buy us some time."

"He clearly knows who my family is, though," Sera said. "He knew exactly who to go to with these threats, so I wouldn't count on him not knowing about the Boarding House."

"Then, we'll go somewhere else," Elijah said.

"Where?" Rebekah asked. "Celia's? Mikael knows about her house for certain."

"Perhaps not," Elijah said. "He and Celia were never close. I doubt he's been there before."

"Our father made it a point to know as much about our family and our whereabouts as possible," Rebekah said. "I am willing to bet that he knows more than we think."

"You both are going to have to leave town."

Elijah and Rebekah looked at each other before looking at Sera. "Absolutely not," Elijah said. "The very idea of it goes against everything that we stand for."

"I am not going to allow you to potentially get yourselves killed by Mikael just because of me," Sera said.

"So we're supposed to leave and let him possibly kill you instead?" Rebekah said. "Stefan said that he's interested in you. Having Mikael interested in you is never a good thing."

"I can take care of myself."

"What exactly did Stefan say he was going to do to get Niklaus to come back to town?" Elijah asked.

"He said that he would do whatever is necessary," Rebekah replied. "Whatever that means."

"I'll let you know when I find out," Sera replied. "You both have been on the run from him for centuries. I'm not going to be the one who ruins that record."

"Serafina, we're not going to leave," Elijah said. "Not when your life is in danger. We have not always been there for you in the past because we were on the run from Mikael, but we are here now and we are not running anymore."

"And, what happens after that?" Sera asked. "You're just going to stand by and let Mikael kill Klaus?"

"If that means that he doesn't kill you, then yes," Elijah said. "Especially after all that he has done."

"I want to murder Nik after what you told me," Rebekah said.

Elijah looked at his sister. "What did she tell you?"

"That Nik was the one who killed our mother, not Mikael," Rebekah replied. She reached behind her and showed him the picture that Sera had showed her. "Sera and her friends found this earlier."

Elijah stiffened, but said nothing in response to Rebekah's revelation, as if at a loss for words. Sera shook her head at her grandfather and great-aunt. "Klaus has been doing these sorts of things to you both for a millennium and you have yet to do anything besides leave him to his own devices," she said. "The vow that you are using as an argument to protect me is also forcing you to protect him. Do you honestly think that you will be able to break it?"

Just then, the door to the Boarding House opened and Stefan and Damon walked in. "Alright, it's done," Stefan announced. "Klaus is on his way back to Mystic Falls."

"How did you do that?" Sera asked.

"I told him the truth," Stefan replied. "I told him that Mikael was coming after you."

"And, he's actually coming?" Sera asked, surprised.

Stefan nodded as Damon spoke. "Apparently, he still cares about you," he said. "I guess that you were right about your weird family dynamic with him."

"Wait," Sera said. She looked at her father. "That means that Klaus knows that you are no longer under his compulsion and that you have your humanity back on."

Stefan nodded once. "Like I said, I was going to do whatever was necessary to bring him back to town." He looked at the two Originals. "I told Klaus to meet you at Celia's house," Stefan said, to Rebekah. "Figured that is a bit more out of the way than this place."

Rebekah nodded. "I'll go there now."

"I'll go too," Elijah said. "I'd rather have my brother find out I'm awake as far away from the center of town as possible. Just in case." Elijah looked at his granddaughter. "You're going to be fine, Serafina," he said. "I promise."

Sera nodded. "I know."

She watched as Elijah and Rebekah left, closing the door behind them. She sighed as she turned back to her father and uncle. "Where's Xavier?"

"He's taking Elena home," Damon replied. "We wanted to be sure that she got home safely after the run-in with Mikael."

Sera nodded as Stefan spoke. "Sera, I don't want you leaving this house until we have dealt with the Mikael problem."

"Dad, that's not fair!" Sera exclaimed. "I told Caroline that I would go to Homecoming!"

Stefan's eyes narrowed. "Seriously?" he said. "You're upset because you can't go to Homecoming?"

"I'm upset because taking care of Mikael could take days, if not weeks," Sera said. "I don't want to be cooped up inside this house for days on end."

"You love this house," Damon reminded her, with a smile.

Sera shot him a glare. "That doesn't mean I want to become a hermit inside of it."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "You're not going to become a hermit, Sera," he said. "It's just for a couple of days."

"But, you'll need my help," Sera said. "My magic might be helpful in taking him down."

"I don't want to take any chances, Sera," Stefan said. "Mikael is too dangerous an opponent."

Sera crossed her arms. "Then, you two better get this dealt with soon," she said. "Because I don't plan on staying put for long."

Stefan and Damon watched as Sera practically stomped up the stairs to her room. When they heard her door close, they looked at each other. "That," Damon said. ", is all Celia."

"No, no," Stefan said. "She gets that from you."

"Fine," Damon said. "Me and Celia. And that, brother, is a dangerous combination."

Stefan smirked at him. "Oh, believe me, I know."

* * *

The last time that Klaus had been to Celia's house was around the time of her funeral. He was surprised to find the house in such a good condition, let alone still standing. But, then he discovered that it had been deemed a historical landmark by the town of Mystic Falls and knew that had been Sera's doing. He should have known that Sera would do whatever was necessary to make sure her childhood home remained standing.

The message from Stefan had been simple and to the point. Sera was being threatened by Mikael. Although Klaus knew that Mikael had put a target on his back as well, he was determined to make sure that Sera didn't pay for the mistakes of the rest of the family. Despite the animosity that had been between them as of late, Klaus's sort-of-rarely-seen protective nature rose to the surface and he automatically changed his plans and returned to Mystic Falls. The message had also said that he was to meet Rebekah at Celia's old house, which is why he found himself standing in front of his niece's former home. He opened the door and walked inside.

"Rebekah!"

His sister appeared. "Nik," she said, calmly. "You came."

"Of course I came," Klaus replied. "Did you think I'd let our father get his hands on Sera?"

"The thought had crossed our minds."

Klaus froze and his eyes widened when he saw his brother appear from behind Rebekah. "Elijah," he said. "But, how…" He stopped and looked at the ground, almost smiling. "Sera."

"Yes, my granddaughter was kind enough to wake me up after you decided to stab me in the back," Elijah replied. "Or the heart, I should say."

"I should have known that she would do something like this," Klaus said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"With good reason," Elijah replied.

"I also should have known not to underestimate her," Klaus said. "She is a Mikaelson, after all."

"And, because of that, she is now one of Mikael's targets," Rebekah said. "We need to come up with a plan to make sure that he doesn't get near her."

"Where is she now?" Klaus demanded.

"Sera is with Stefan at the Boarding House," Rebekah replied.

"Are we really operating under the assumption that Stefan Salvatore will be able to protect his daughter from our father?" Klaus asked.

"Never underestimate the power of a parent who is protecting their child, Niklaus," Elijah replied. "I have every faith that Stefan will be able to protect Serafina, should the occasion arise. But, we are here to make sure that it does not."

"Let's not forget that Sera can take care of herself as well," Rebekah reminded both of her brothers. "She inherited Celia's powers, after all."

"A lot of good those will do her when Mikael plunges a stake into her heart," Klaus replied.

"Then, do you have a plan?"

Klaus turned upon hearing the new voice and saw Xavier and Damon entering Celia's house. He pointed at them, but looked at his siblings. "What are they doing here?"

"Sera is my niece," Damon replied. "I could care less about what happens to you, but I will not allow Mikael to get his hands on her. What does he want with her, anyway?"

Rebekah shrugged. "It could be any number of reasons," she replied. "Mikael is the vampire who hunts vampires. He could want her for the simple reason that she is a vampire or he could want her because she is his great-granddaughter. He has had a vendetta out against our family for centuries."

"So, Sera has to pay for something that she had no control over?" Xavier asked. "That's not fair."

"Sera is not going to pay for anything," Klaus said, adamantly.

"Then, I will repeat my question about your plan for taking Mikael down."

"I have an army of hybrids," Klaus said. "They will do whatever I ask of them. If I tell them to rip Mikael limb from limb, they will."

"And, how about we fast forward to the part where we ultimately kill him?" Damon asked.

"With the distraction of the hybrids, we can find where my father is keeping the White Oak Stake," Elijah replied, as if Damon had asked him the question. "Then, we can plunge it through his heart."

"Fantastic," Damon replied. "Now, how can we be sure that you three won't betray us at the last minute?"

Elijah almost rolled his eyes, but resisted. "There will be no betrayals with Serafina's safety at stake," he said, adamantly.

"Wonderful," Damon said. "So, we can all band together to make sure that Mikael doesn't get to Sera, and then after that we can go back to our regularly scheduled fighting. Sound like a plan?"

* * *

"This is utterly ridiculous."

Sera and Stefan were in the living room of the Boarding House. The others had already headed to Homecoming, leaving the two of them home alone. Stefan was sitting on the couch and Sera was pacing in front of him. "There is nothing ridiculous about ensuring your safety," Stefan said.

"You have me under house arrest!" Sera exclaimed. "I should be out there, doing something to help."

"I'm not going to continue this conversation any further," Stefan said. "We can go back and forth about this for hours, but you already know everything that I'm going to say. Change the topic."

Sera groaned and sat down next to her father. "This sucks."

"Or, you can look at it as a glass half full situation and be happy that it's just you and me for a change."

Sera turned her head so that she was looking at her father. "You know, you're right," she said. "I've been bitching so much that I didn't even realize that I finally have what I wanted."

Stefan smiled. "What do you want to do?"

Sera thought for a moment. "Honestly?" She said. "I have no idea."

"Seriously?"

"With everything that's been happening, I didn't think this moment would ever come," Sera admitted.

Stefan stood and poured them a couple of drinks. "I seem to remember that I missed your birthday this year," he said, handing her a glass.

"Which I don't blame you for, by the way," Sera quickly added, taking the drink from him.

"How about we celebrate that, then?" Stefan said. "Your presents are upstairs."

Sera smiled. "You got me presents?"

"What kind of father would I be if I didn't?" Stefan said, as he headed to the stairs. "They're nothing huge. Just a couple small things that made me think of you."

"Don't you always think of me?"

Stefan smiled at her, but didn't correct her. "Meet me in the kitchen, alright?" He said. "I'm making you dinner."

Sera smiled and practically jumped off of the couch and headed to the kitchen. Stefan was still smiling as he shook his head, grateful for the night alone with his daughter, but hoping that the others would be able to deal with the bigger problem in their absence.

* * *

Going to Homecoming at a school he didn't actually go to wasn't really Xavier's cup of tea, but he made sure that he dressed to impress, especially because the woman on his arm was an Original. Neither Xavier nor Rebekah were exactly thrilled that they had to be each other's dates, but they were doing it for the greater good. They expected Mikael to make his move at the Homecoming celebration, where no one would notice if someone went missing from the crowd.

"Don't leave my side unless absolutely necessary," Rebekah whispered, as they entered Tyler's house. The dance had been moved to the Lockwood mansion when the gym at the school flooded. "I don't want people to think I've been stood up."

"What do you care what these people think of you?" Xavier asked.

"I may be a vampire, but I'm still a woman," Rebekah said. "I don't want to be embarrassed."

Xavier rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said. "Let's just get this over with."

"Aren't you a gentleman?" Rebekah said, sarcastically.

"Like you aren't thinking the same thing?"

Rebekah shrugged. "Perhaps."

Xavier shook his head and then they both spotted Damon and Elijah making their way through the crowd. Damon had Elena on his arm and Elijah was pretending like he was one of the chaperones. Klaus, on the other hand, was chatting up some poor, unsuspecting girl. Xavier's grip on Rebekah's arm tightened, but Rebekah sighed. "Don't worry," she said. "My brother may be many things, but he won't do anything untoward with a mission such as this at risk."

"Are you sure about that?"

Rebekah nodded once, but hesitated for the briefest of seconds. "Absolutely."

"That doesn't sound very convincing," Xavier replied.

"Relax, Xavier," Rebekah said. "I don't need you to be worrying all night. Try to at least have a bit of fun before the drama starts."

Xavier bit his tongue, but said nothing else. The night continued on, with everyone dancing, drinking, and listening to the band. Xavier kept looking over his shoulder, expecting Mikael to make an appearance at any moment. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find his father standing behind him. "Dad?"

"We have a problem," Damon said.

"What problem?" Rebekah asked.

"Mikael," he replied. "He's here and he's compelled your brother's hybrids. We are grossly outnumbered now."

Xavier and Rebekah looked at each other and then back at Damon. "Where are they?"

"Out front," Damon replied. "Come on."

Xavier and Rebekah followed, taking note of the fact that all of the other guests seemed to be moving to the backyard. When they got to the front door, they found Klaus and Elijah standing just inside the doorway, with Mikael and Klaus's hybrids standing outside. They assumed what could only be considered "battle stances" as they listened in on the conversation taking place between the three Mikaelson men. Mikael locked gazes with his daughter for a brief moment before looking back at his two sons.

"I see your backup has arrived, with one person noticeably absent," Mikael said. He looked at his sons. "Where is Serafina?"

"You needn't concern yourself with her," Klaus said. "You're here for me, aren't you?"

"True," Mikael agreed. "But, I was hoping to take care of both of you in one fell swoop."

Elijah bristled. "You harm one hair on my granddaughter's head and I will…"

"You will what?" Mikael interrupted. "Kill me? Well, if that's the case, what's stopping you right now?" He opened his coat and revealed the White Oak Stake. "Go ahead, son. Do it."

Elijah gritted his teeth and lunged for Mikael, sending them both crashing to the ground. The others took the opportunity to attack Klaus's hybrids, who Klaus killed without hesitation. Damon and Xavier fought alongside the Originals as best they could, but they couldn't match the speeds of their temporary compatriots.

Mikael managed to get the better of Elijah and hauled him up by the collar of his shirt. "Serafina must be a more valuable target if she has this many people willing to die to ensure her safety," Mikael said. He threw Elijah to the side and adjusted his suit. "Perhaps I should make her my primary focus instead."

Mikael took off at Vampire Speed as Klaus and Rebekah finished off the hybrids. "All that work for nothing," Klaus complained. He motioned to the dead hybrids. "Now, I have to create a whole new set."

"He's gone," Elijah said, gaining everyone's attention. "Mikael's gone after Serafina." He held up the White Oak Stake, which he had managed to wrangle out of Mikael's coat pocket during their scuffle. "But, we may still have the upper hand."

Klaus smiled and took the stake from his brother. "I've got Mikael," he said. "You four can clean up this mess."

* * *

Sera was sitting in the kitchen of the Boarding House, watching as her father cooked. Stefan had decided to make their night all about celebrating the birthday that he had missed, complete with dinner, presents, and even cake. It was hard to forget that the others were out dealing with Mikael, but Sera was determined to take the quiet night at home with her father while she could get it.

"You know, you're setting quite the precedent," she said. "I don't know how I am going to top this for your birthday."

"You don't need to do anything for my birthday," Stefan replied.

"Every parent says that," Sera said. "Mom used to say the same thing."

"Parents are supposed to spoil their children on their birthdays," Stefan replied. "Nowhere does it say that children are supposed to spoil their parents."

"But, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't."

Stefan smiled at her. "Who knows what will even be happening when my birthday comes around?"

"Touché," Sera replied. "But, don't you worry, I'll think of something."

"Alright, taste this," Stefan said. He handed her a spoon with red sauce on it. "Tell me if I got it right."

"You always get it right," Sera replied. She took the spoon, anyway, and tasted it. "God, that's good."

Stefan smiled as she handed the spoon back to him. "I did teach you how to make this, remember?"

"Yeah, I do, but I never seem to get it right," Sera said. "Mine always seemed...different."

"When was the last time you tried?"

"I honestly don't remember."

"Then that's what I want for my birthday dinner," Stefan said. "I want you to make my spaghetti sauce and I'll be the judge of it."

Sera laughed. "Ok, fine," she said. "Whatever you want."

"Alright," Stefan said, wiping his hands on a towel. "The sauce is done, the pasta is in the water, and the garlic bread is in the oven. We still have a little time before it will be ready."

"Does that mean we can do presents now?"

Stefan laughed. "Over a century later, and you still get excited for presents."

Sera shrugged. "I will always be a kid at heart."

Stefan turned and grabbed a couple of small boxes from the counter. "Happy Birthday, Princess."

Sera took the boxes and smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

Sera opened the lid of the first box and pulled out a black leather bracelet, long enough to wrap around her wrist at least twice. It was simple, yet perfect. "I love it!"

"I knew you would," Stefan replied, as Sera put the bracelet on. "It seemed like something you would wear. Plus, I figured that it would go well with your next present. That one is my favorite."

Sera was still smiling as she opened the next box. She pulled out a necklace with a silver heart on its black cord. "Oh wow..."

"Look at the engraving."

Sera flipped the heart over. " 'I tell you I love you every day for fear that tomorrow isn't...' "* She looked at her father. "Mom loved that quote."

"I know," Stefan replied. "She used to add it into all of her letters, so it eventually became a favorite of mine. But, it rings true. We never know what may happen. We have to be sure that we tell the ones we love how we feel, or it may be too late."

Sera got up from her seat and hugged her father. "I love you, Dad."

Stefan kissed the top of his daughter's head. "I love you too, Princess," he said.

"How sweet."

Stefan and Sera pulled away from each other and looked in the direction of the new voice. An older man stood before them, in the doorway of the kitchen. Stefan swallowed. "Mikael."

Sera looked at her father and then back at the man who was, apparently, her great-grandfather. Mikael's eyes were on her. "You must be the infamous Serafina that I have heard so much about," he said. "Did you honestly think that I wouldn't be able to track you down?"

"Well, it has been over a century, so the thought had crossed my mind," Sera replied.

"You've kept yourself hidden quite well, I will admit," Mikael said. "But, all things must come to an end."

Stefan lunged at Mikael, but the Mikaelson Patriarch snapped his neck as if it were a twig. Stefan fell in a heap on the ground, unconscious. Mikael then turned his eyes on his great-granddaughter and noticed the slightest hint of fear in hers. "Quite a retinue of protectors you have," Mikael said.

"What have you done with them?" Sera demanded.

"Nothing. Yet," Mikael replied.

"What do you want with me?" Sera asked. "I've done nothing to you. I've never even met you before now."

"You exist," Mikael said. "You are an abomination, just like Klaus. Perhaps even more so. Abominations need to be wiped from the face of the earth. That is exactly what I told your grandfather decades ago, when he refused to help me kill his brother."

"I'm still your blood," Sera said, though she was not proud of it.

"That might have meant something to me once," Mikael replied. "But, not anymore."

Mikael moved to grab her, but Sera used her magic to throw him back, sending him crashing into the hallway he had appeared from. Mikael looked at her as he stood and almost took a step back upon seeing her blood red irises. He pointed at her. "See?" he said. "Even your eyes aren't like other vampires."

"They're not supposed to be."

Sera used her magic to force Mikael to his knees. Mikael struggled against her magical grip, but looked at her. "At least fight me like a vampire would," he said. "Prove to me that you don't need to hide behind your magic to win a battle."

"Why should I?" Sera replied. "You'll overpower me in seconds. We both know that."

Mikael managed to break free of Sera's magical hold and rushed at her, grabbing her by the neck and pinning her against the refrigerator. "Because even the smallest of distractions could cause your hold to weaken," he said.

Sera used her magic once more to throw him back and, as he stumbled, she used her Vampire Speed to race to the front door, in the very least to get Mikael away from Stefan's unconscious body. Just as she reached the front door, Mikael appeared before her, causing her to grind to a halt.

"Coward," Mikael spat. "First, you hide behind your magic and then you run away at the first chance you have. You are not a warrior. You just pretend to be."

Mikael hit Sera across the face three times, causing a big red cut to appear on her cheekbone. Sera stumbled backwards and then used her magic to force him to his knees once more. She walked towards him as she used her magic to make his blood begin to boil. Mikael's mouth dropped open in pain as Sera smiled at him and crouched down to be at his level. "I was never meant to be a warrior," she said. "But, even I know that a warrior should use every available weapon that they have."

Just then, Mikael was thrown backwards, but not by Sera's magic. Sera looked up and saw her father. "Sera, go!" Stefan said. "Run!"

"Dad, you can't take him by yourself," Sera objected.

"I said run!"

Mikael started laughing as he stood. "You honestly think that you can fight me and win?" He said. "Fool."

Stefan went into Vampire Mode. "At least I will have died trying."

Mikael, too, went into Vampire Mode and the two vampires lunged for each other, crashing into the foyer of the Boarding House. The two vampires fought as Sera stood. Mikael had a wooden stake in hand, ready to plunge it into Stefan's chest, while Stefan was doing his best to keep the stake at bay. Sera closed her eyes, as if calming herself, and then opened them. "Dad, move!"

Mikael looked at his great-granddaughter when he heard her voice and Stefan took the distraction to do as Sera asked, using his Vampire Speed to rush to his daughter's side. Sera shot out her hand and sent Mikael to his knees once more, except this time, he began to cough up blood.

"Sera, what are you doing to him?" Stefan asked, amazed.

Sera kept her concentration on her great-grandfather. "I'm making him choke on his own blood."

Just then, a wooden stake appeared in Mikael's chest. Sera released her magical hold on him as his mouth dropped open in shock and his body became consumed in flames. As Mikael fell to the ground, Klaus was revealed as having been the one to stab him in the back. He watched as Mikael burned for a moment and then looked at his great-niece. "I knew that keeping you locked up was a bad decision."

Sera smiled at him. "Yeah, so did I."

* * *

"So, now what?"

Sera shrugged. "I'm not sure," she replied. "I guess things are going back to the way they were before."

"But, that doesn't make sense," Caroline said. The two of them met for lunch the next day at the Boarding House. "Why go back to fighting? Why can't this be an opportunity to make peace?"

"Because that is not how Klaus's mind works," Sera said. "Especially since we all know that we're going to be standing in his way in regards to his nefarious plans. Whatever they may be."

Caroline shook her head. "Well, I, for one, am hoping that we can stay in this peaceful setting," she said. "We don't need any more drama, especially Original related."

"Serafina!"

Sera closed her eyes. "Too late."

They both turned and saw Klaus coming towards them. "Where are they?" He demanded.

"Where are what?" Sera asked.

"The coffins," Klaus said. "They're gone."

"How the hell am I supposed to know where they are?" Sera asked. "You're the one who had them. Perhaps Elijah and Rebekah know?"

Klaus shook his head. "This has Salvatore written all over it."

Sera crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"

"Why would Elijah and Rebekah move the coffins?" Klaus said. "The only people who would even think of doing such a thing would be Stefan and Damon."

"Not if Elijah and Rebekah decided to wake the others up." Klaus froze for a moment. Sera motioned to the door. "Go and find Gramps and Aunt Rebekah and ask them if they know anything about the whereabouts of our precious family coffins."

Klaus sent her a glare and then left the Boarding House. Caroline looked at her friend as Sera pulled out her cell phone. "Wow," she said. "You handled that so well."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Sera said. She put her phone to her ear and waited for a moment. "Hi, Dad, it's me. Just wanted to know if you knew anything about why the Mikaelson coffins have suddenly gone missing?"

* * *

 *** The quote used on Sera's necklace is, I believe, from Nathaniel Hawthorne. I saw it and I absolutely loved it!**

 **I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	10. When Coffins Go Missing

"Well, you wasted no time in replenishing your hybrid supply."

Klaus had texted Sera to meet him at the house he had claimed for himself in town. The house was in the midst of renovations, and Sera had to step carefully to avoid construction equipment and stray nails. She could tell from the looks she received from the others roaming about Klaus's new home that they had joined the ranks of the hybrids. Klaus looked up from renovation blueprints when he heard Sera's voice. "Of course I didn't," he said. "The whole point of breaking the Curse was to create more hybrids. Just because my first batch died in your defense doesn't mean that I shouldn't create more."

"They didn't die in my defense," Sera said. "They died because Mikael compelled them to be our enemies."

"Point is, they're dead and I needed more," Klaus said. "Where are we on the coffin search?"

"Not very far," Sera said. "I can't get a hold of my dad. But, I'm working on it."

"Stefan is making himself look awfully suspicious, don't you think?"

Sera gave her great-uncle a look. "He didn't do it."

"Sure he didn't."

"What would be his motive?" Sera asked. "You all just banded together to defeat Mikael. What would make him switch sides so quickly?"

"Because we are back to business as usual," Klaus replied.

"Look, even I want to get back at you for everything you've done over the last few months, but you don't see me doing something like this," Sera said.

"Then, who else do you suggest?" Klaus asked. "Who else do you think has enough motive to move against me besides Stefan and Damon?"

"Literally everyone else you have ever pissed off," Sera replied. "Perhaps one of your former enemies has decided to make a visit to Mystic Falls."

"I suppose that whoever did it doesn't really matter until we can figure out where they are," Klaus said, ignoring Sera's comment. "After we get them back, we can hunt down who is responsible."

"Even when I do figure out who is behind this, I am not going to tell you who it is," Sera said. "I'm not going to have that blood on my hands."

"Look at you, ever the hero," Klaus said, mockingly. "Must have gotten that from dear old dad. Oh, wait. Perhaps not, given his history and all."

"What are you getting at?"

"Your father's compulsion may have been broken and his humanity may have been turned back on, but you and I both know that the Ripper is always lurking just underneath the surface," Klaus said. "That does cause him to have quite the temper."

"Shut up."

"You're only saying that because you know that I am right," Klaus said.

"Your temper is worse."

Klaus shrugged. "Perhaps," he said. "But, Stefan didn't earn his reputation for nothing." Sera glared at her great-uncle as he walked up to her. "Find Stefan and you will most likely find the coffins," he said, almost in a whisper. "Take my word for it, Love."

"And, what will you do if he is the one who took them?"

Klaus gave her a smile. "That has yet to be determined," he said. He turned and walked back to where he had been standing before. "But, don't worry, I'll take our family connection into consideration before I rip his heart out."

Sera took a couple of steps towards him. "You rip his heart out and I will make you regret the day that you were born."

Klaus looked at her and smiled again. "You can at least try."

* * *

"If it makes you feel any better, I can't get a hold of Elijah either."

Rebekah and Sera were back at the Boarding House, Rebekah sipping on a glass of blood while Sera tried, yet again, to get a hold of Stefan. "No, that doesn't make me feel better," Sera replied, putting her phone down beside her on the couch. "If anything, it makes me feel worse."

Rebekah shrugged. "I really wouldn't let this get under your skin."

"Why are you being so calm about this?" Sera asked. "The coffins are missing, Gramps and Dad are MIA, Klaus is in town and he's replenished his hybrids. I figured you would be just as on edge as I am."

"Because ruining his plans is a wonderful way to start getting revenge for what he did to my mother," Rebekah replied. "Besides, if Elijah is the one in possession of the coffins, he won't let anything happen to them. I have nothing to worry about."

"Dad and Gramps are clearly the ones who took the coffins, given the fact that they disappeared at the same time the coffins did," Sera said. "And, I just lied to Klaus about it. Wonderful."

"We've all lied to Nik at one point or another," Rebekah said. "He'll get over it."

"I'm surprised that he hasn't come for you yet."

Rebekah looked up and smiled at Damon. "Wanting to get rid of me, are you?"

"Counting the seconds until I can," Damon replied, with a smile.

"Come on, guys," Sera said. "We already have enough to deal with and we don't need you two going at each other."

"I've had no word from Stefan," Damon said. "He seems to have gone off the grid."

"And, if you had been here ten minutes ago, you would have known that we have already come to that conclusion," Rebekah said.

"I don't see you chiming in with any brilliant commentary."

Rebekah sighed. "I don't need to as of yet."

"Look, Klaus has already enlisted me in his quest to get the coffins back. It's only a matter of time before he starts using violence to get what he wants," Sera said.

"Too late," Xavier said, walking into the living room. "Just had a call from Elena. Ric was just hit by a car."

"Klaus ran him over?" Damon said. "That doesn't seem like his style."

"It's not," Xavier replied. "Apparently, Klaus compelled Jeremy to stand in front of a moving car in the middle of the street and Ric pushed him out of the way."

"You know, there is an easy solution to this problem," Damon said. "Sera, do a locator spell. Find the coffins and then we can give them back to Klaus and this will all be over."

"Easier said than done," Sera replied.

"How so?" Damon asked.

"The spell I can do with no problem," Sera said. "But, with Dad and Gramps not filling us in on what their plan is, we could be jeopardizing it and could potentially even make things worse by just showing up out of nowhere."

"And, we could lead my brother straight to them," Rebekah added.

"I think it's a chance we should be taking," Xavier said. "Klaus has already gone after Jeremy, Tyler is still sired to him, it's only a matter of time before he starts going after the others. In the very least, we can know where they are, even if they don't know that we've found them."

Sera sighed. "I suppose."

"I'm going to head over to Elena's, make sure they're alright," Damon said.

"I'll go with you," Xavier said.

Damon nodded. "You two, find Stefan and Elijah," he said. "Figure out what they're planning and why they don't want us involved."

"Why do I feel like we're getting the short end of the stick?" Rebekah asked.

"Because we are," Sera said. She smiled at her uncle and cousin. "Our assignment involves much more work."

"You said it yourself, the spell is no problem," Damon said.

"Yeah, yeah," Sera said. "Just go. We'll handle this."

Rebekah finished her drink and stood as Damon and Xavier left. "Right," she said. "Let's get this show on the road."

Sera also stood, grabbing her phone and putting it into her pocket. "I just have to grab something of Dad's for the spell. Give me a minute."

* * *

 _"Yeah, things aren't going all that well here. How about for you?"_

"Not horrible," Sera said. She and Rebekah were trudging through the woods. "The spell has led us back to the creepy witch house, so we're heading there now to investigate. What happened at Elena's?"

 _"One of Klaus's hybrids tried to stop Elena from getting Alaric to the hospital, cause he didn't come back from the dead as smoothly this time, and Jeremy chopped the hybrid's head off."_

"Jesus!" Sera swore.

 _"Exactly. Dad's with her now and I'm going to the hospital to meet up with Jeremy and Alaric. I've got to say, Elena's really shaken up."_

"And, of course, Dad's not answering his phone," Sera said. "Fantastic."

 _"Things have been off with them since Celia brought Uncle Stefan out of his Ripper state. I tried to tell Elena that what happened between Uncle Stefan and Celia shouldn't matter, but I think that something changed when he was gone with Klaus. I don't know, Sera, but I don't see this ending well."_

Sera sighed. "Yeah, I know. I don't either."

"Sera," Rebekah said. "We're here."

"Xavier, I've got to go," Sera said. "Keep me updated."

 _"Same to you."_

Sera put her phone back in her pocket. "I don't hear anything," Rebekah said, looking at her great-niece. "You think the spell worked?"

"Of course it worked," Sera said. "Don't tell me you doubt me."

"Should we go in?" Rebekah asked. "Or, should we just assume that they are in there and go home?"

"Since its nighttime, you should be safe to go in," Sera said. "The witch spirits that protect this place like to mess around with daylight rings. So, during the day, you wouldn't be able to get in even if you wanted to."

"And, you can?"

Sera shrugged. "I did before," she said. "But, I don't know if that was just a one-time thing or not."

"Fine, let's get this over with, then," Rebekah said.

Sera followed her great-aunt towards the abandoned house. "This place is even worse at night."

"These kinds of places usually are," Rebekah replied. "Wait, did you hear that?" Rebekah stopped and Sera followed suit. "Someone else is here."

"Yeah, probably Dad and Gramps," Sera said.

Rebekah shook her head. "No," she said. "Someone else."

Two of Klaus's hybrids emerged from the bushes, causing Rebekah and Sera to turn around. "Like he predicted, you led us right to them," the first hybrid said.

"Led you right to what?" Sera asked.

"To the coffins," the second hybrid replied. "Klaus knew that if we kept our eyes on you, you would lead us straight to what he wanted."

"How long have you been following us for?" Rebekah asked.

"Since you left the Boarding House," the second hybrid said. "Klaus knew that you would eventually find the coffins. It was only a matter of time."

Sera and Rebekah looked at each other and then back at the hybrids. "And, I'm afraid your time is up," Rebekah said. "Because, unfortunately, we can't let you bring this information back to my brother."

Rebekah went into Vampire Mode and lunged for the second hybrid, while Sera used her magic give the first one a migraine. Rebekah tossed the second hybrid to the side and grabbed a stick from the ground, plunging it into his heart as he lunged for her once more. The second hybrid collapsed to the ground, his skin already gray. The first hybrid, on the other hand, managed to stand, despite Sera's magical migraine, and used his Vampire Speed to rush at her and grab her by the neck, ready to snap it and render her unconscious. But, as he grabbed her neck, Sera plunged her hand into his chest and ripped his heart out, throwing it to the side as he collapsed to the ground, also gray.

"When we get home, we are going to have a long talk with my brother," Rebekah said.

"How about right now?" Sera said. She looked down at her shirt, debating whether or not to use it as a towel for her blood covered hand, before looking back at her great-aunt. "Because I'm more than ready to have that conversation right now."

* * *

"What the hell, Nik?!"

Klaus turned and found his sister and great-niece storming towards him at the Grille. "Problem, sister?"

"You had your hybrids follow us!" Rebekah said, jabbing her finger in his face.

"Of course I did," Klaus said. Sera and Rebekah sat down across from him. "I can never be guaranteed of any loyalty, even from my own family, so I got a couple of my sired hybrids to make sure that Sera actually did try and find the coffins. They, after all, have no choice but to do whatever I tell them."

Sera rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm trying to find the coffins," she said. "You don't need to have me monitored."

"How else can I be sure that you will tell me what you discover?"

Sera rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "Well, it doesn't really matter," Rebekah said. "Because your two hybrids are now worm food." Klaus flinched, but only slightly. "And any others you send after me or Sera will meet the same fate."

"You know, sister, I figured that you would be just as eager to find those coffins as I am," Klaus said.

Rebekah sat back and crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter to me either way," she said. "Whatever goes against what you want makes me very happy."

"You're lying."

"This conversation is going nowhere," Sera said. "The point is, Klaus, stop sending your hybrids to follow us around, otherwise you will have to create another whole batch of them." Sera stood and moved to leave. "And, lay off tormenting my friends," she continued. "Shit like that is why people don't want to help you."

"Find the coffins, Serafina," Klaus called after Sera, stopping her in her tracks. "It would be in your best interests to work quickly."

Sera turned back around. "And, it would be in your best interests not to piss me off," she said. "You think that my father has a temper? Just wait until you see mine."

* * *

Sera found herself back at the witch house shortly after leaving Klaus and Rebekah at the Grille. She walked inside and began searching for any sign of the coffins, Stefan, or Elijah. She headed downstairs to the lower floor of the house and, sure enough, found a room lit by many candles. Two of the coffins were sitting in the center of the room.

"Sera, what are you doing here?"

Sera turned at the sound of Stefan's voice. "Hi, Dad," she said. She motioned to the coffins behind her. "Mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

* * *

 **I hope that you enjoy this new chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	11. A Birthday, a Funeral, and a Kidnapping

"You have got to be kidding me!"

Damon rolled his eyes at his son's reaction to his news. "Come on, it's not that bad."

"Yes, it is!" Xavier said. "You kissed Elena and she is still dating Uncle Stefan! When Uncle Stefan finds out, he is going to kill you! Literally going to kill you."

"There's no reason for him to find out," Damon said.

"You know he's going to find out, it's only a matter of time," Xavier said. "God, I knew that this was going to happen. I called it months ago, but I never expected it to happen like this!"

"I didn't tell you so that you would yell at me," Damon said. "I told you so I could get it off of my chest."

"How well is that working out for you?"

"It's not like you've ever done anything like this before," Damon reminded his son.

"I've never kissed my brother's girlfriend," Xavier replied.

"You don't have a brother."

"That I know of."

Damon rolled his eyes, again. "Alright, this is getting us nowhere," he said. "The main thing is that it happened, we can't change the past, and it will never happen again."

"It better not happen again," Xavier said. "Believe it or not, I actually like it when our family gets along."

Damon watched as his son climbed the stairs to the upper floor of the Boarding House before turning and pouring himself a glass of bourbon and trying to get the thoughts he was having about Elena out of his head.

* * *

"So, your brilliant plan to get Klaus to leave town was to take the coffins from him? Come on, you had to have known that wasn't going to work."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Elijah and I assumed that Klaus would be willing to make a deal to get them back."

"And when, exactly, were you planning on posing this deal to the hybrid in question?" Sera asked. "Most kidnappers send a ransom note at least a day or two after the kidnapping, you know."

"Tomorrow," Stefan replied. "I was going to go to Klaus tomorrow."

"Well, the plan is off," Sera said. "I don't care what sort of revenge plan you and Elijah have. Klaus is already causing enough damage and we don't need him causing any more."

Stefan's eyes narrowed. "What sort of damage?"

Sera started counting off the list of occurrences on her fingers. "Let's see. He tried to have Jeremy run over by a car, but got Ric instead. He's already threatened me multiple times because I haven't been working fast enough in finding these damn things. Oh! And, he had me and Rebekah followed by two of his newborn hybrid thugs, who we had to dispatch of just a few hours ago, actually, right outside this very house. I really don't need anything else to go wrong, so these coffins will be returned to Klaus right now."

Stefan started shaking his head. "He can't win."

"Excuse me?"

"Klaus," Stefan replied. "We can't give into him and give him what he wants. He needs to leave town first and take his hybrids with him. Then, and only then, will he get any of the coffins back."

"Klaus does not respond well to ultimatums," Sera said. "Even Elijah will tell you that."

"Elijah also came up with this plan," Stefan reminded her. "And, truth be told, I think he has his own plans for the coffins that don't involve giving them back to his brother. No, these coffins are staying right where they are, for now."

Sera rolled her eyes as Stefan walked past her. "You know, you should really get in touch with your girlfriend." That caused Stefan to stop and turn back towards his daughter. "She's not used to seeing you in revenge mode, you know. She doesn't understand why you disappeared."

Stefan nodded. "You're right," he admitted. "I will." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sera," he continued. "I shouldn't have just disappeared. I should have told you what was going on, but I didn't want you to get involved."

Sera cracked a smile. "You're dealing with the Mikaelsons," she said. "I would have gotten involved no matter what."

Stefan let out a laugh and returned the smile. "It's going to take me a while to get used to you being one of them, you know."

Sera nodded. "I understand," she said. "I'm still not used to it either."

* * *

"I saw Stefan today."

Elena had invited Xavier over to her house for breakfast, where she was fairly certain they could speak without getting interrupted by any of the other Salvatore family members or even the Originals. Xavier still wasn't sure how much he liked Elena confiding in him about her relationship with his uncle - especially given what had happened between her and Damon - but if he was the only person she felt she could talk to, then he would listen.

"And?"

Elena sighed. "Well, I'm glad that he's alright," she began. "He apologized for not being here, for leaving without saying anything. He said that he would explain everything when he was done, but I don't really need an explanation. I know that he's doing whatever it is to try and protect everyone from Klaus."

"Did he say that?"

Elena shook her head. "He didn't have to," she replied. "After what Klaus did to him, after what Klaus's presence in Mystic Falls almost did to Sera, how can that not be the reason?"

"It is true that Uncle Stefan is very protective of the ones he cares about," Xavier agreed. "Which probably explains why he didn't tell anyone what he and Elijah were planning. He probably figured that, if we didn't know what was happening, nothing would happen to us. He just, obviously, forgot who he was dealing with." Elena nodded, but didn't say anything. Xavier looked at her. "Something else is on your mind, though," he said. "Perhaps it has something to do with what happened between you and my dad?"

Elena startled. "He told you?"

"Of course he did, I'm his son," Xavier said. "We've had our ups and downs, but we still tell each other things."

"Does Sera know?"

Xavier shook his head. "Not yet, but she will eventually." He paused. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know," Elena said. "I don't know what to think about it myself."

"Do you want to know what I think?"

Elena nodded. "Sure."

"I think that, while Uncle Stefan was gone, you and my dad obviously grew closer," Xavier replied. "You know that already because you found out about the bet Sera and I had made. I think it's only natural that, in the time that Uncle Stefan was gone and you and my dad spent more time together, you might have developed feelings for him. After all, I have heard that girls tend to like bad boys."

Elena smiled. "Speaking from experience?"

Xavier smiled back. "A bit," he said. "I am my father's son, you know."

"So, I've heard."

"My point is that you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened," Xavier said. "If anything, it's my dad's fault. He shouldn't have done what he did, but emotions can be funny things."

"I can't even imagine how Stefan is going to react when he finds out."

Xavier shrugged. "I would assume that he would react in the same way that you did when he told you about Celia."

"But, that's a totally different situation," Elena said. "Celia was his first love, the mother of his child. She will always hold a place in his heart and I can't blame him for that. Damon is his brother..."

"It was a one time thing and you weren't the one to initiate it," Xavier said. "If anything, Uncle Stefan will get mad at my dad, not you." Xavier stood. "But, you should be the one to tell him. Don't let him find out from my dad. He was honest with you about Celia, so you need to be honest with him." Elena nodded and Xavier held out his hand. "Come on," he said. "Cheer up. You have to get to school. It's Caroline's birthday, right? Aren't we supposed to be celebrating later?"

Elena smiled and took Xavier's offered hand, stood and then walked out of her house with him.

* * *

"You know I'm not one of your minions, right? You can't just call me and expect me to drop everything and run to your side. I have plans today, you know."

Klaus smiled when he heard his great-niece's voice. "One of these days, you're going to give me a much more cheer-filled greeting."

"And pigs will fly, hell will freeze over," Sera said, as Klaus turned to face her. "And, archaeologists will discover Atlantis."

Klaus bent his head to hide the amusement on his face. "Do you have any new information for me?"

Sera sighed. "I know where two of the coffins are."

Klaus looked up. "You do?"

"But, we have to enter into a form of negotiation," Sera said. "This can't be a situation where you are the only one who gets what you want. "

Klaus bristled. "Is this coming from you or from Stefan?"

"Primarily me," Sera said. "But, if I can tell Dad and Elijah that you are willing to cooperate, I am sure that they will follow suit."

"So, I play the good guy and agree to this while my brother and your father potentially set up an attack against me?" Klaus said. "Absolutely not. You're going to tell me where those coffins are and I am going to go and get them."

"No, I'm not." Klaus glared at her and Sera continued. "I know that you're used to getting your own way by whatever means necessary," she said. "But, this time, you need to work with me if you want to get the coffins back."

"You are infuriating," Klaus practically growled. He walked past her, towards the front door of his house, and then turned back to look at her. "After I risked my own life to come back and protect you from Mikael, you won't even help me get our family back together."

Sera rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this," she said. She turned to face him. "I am trying to help you, Klaus," she continued. "I'm trying to get everyone what they want with as little violence and bloodshed as possible. I know that killing is your preferred method, but there are other more humane ways to accomplish your goals. All I am asking is that you sit down and talk with Dad and Elijah and come to some sort of agreement. Is that really so hard?"

Just then, the door opened and Rebekah came in. "Given the looks on your faces, I take it that things have not gone all that well."

"What are you doing here?" Klaus demanded.

"She's here to make sure that you don't do something stupid," Sera said.

Rebekah walked up beside her. "I tried warning her that you wouldn't go for her plan, but she wouldn't listen."

Klaus said nothing as Sera walked past him towards the front door. "I have to go," she said. "Call me when you're willing to play nice."

"Then, I shall reiterate to you your words of 'when hell freezes over'."

Sera shook her head, ignoring her great-uncle's reply as she headed out of the house and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Caroline's surprise birthday celebration had turned into a funeral at the Salvatore Mausoleum, a way to honor the fact that Caroline's human life was dead and to celebrate her new life as a vampire.

Xavier had brought Sera up to speed on the previous night's events – including the Damon and Elena kiss and the development that Jeremy was going to leave town until things blew over – and Sera did the same with her cousin prior to arriving to Caroline's. But, they were determined to not think about the drama going on in their and their friends lives while trying to have some fun.

Xavier had volunteered to go out and get more drinks when the group assembled – him, Sera, Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, and Matt – started to run low. Foregoing using Vampire Speed, he had almost made it back to the car when he was suddenly thrown to the side, hitting a tree and crumpling to the ground.

"What the hell…?" He groaned as he looked up and saw Klaus standing over him. "Klaus."

"Xavier," Klaus said. "Just the Salvatore I was looking for."

Xavier glared at him and stood. "Why?"

"Your uncle has made me angry and, despite her best efforts, your cousin is not helping matters," Klaus explained. "I need to send them a message. And, you are going to help me do that."

Xavier went into Vampire Mode out of pure instinct and lunged at the Original Hybrid. But, as to be expected, Klaus was quicker than him and snapped his neck before Xavier had a chance to do any damage. Klaus sighed contentedly as Xavier crumpled to the ground once more. "Sweet dreams," he said. "When you wake up, the fun will begin."

* * *

Sera had been laughing along with her friends as they waited for Xavier to come back with more drinks. But, just as the mood turned from laughing to slightly awkward with Tyler's arrival, Sera's phone began buzzing.

"Excuse me, guys, I have to take this," she said, standing. "I'll be right back."

Leaving the Mausoleum and taking a few steps away, Sera put her phone to her ear. "Aunt Rebekah, what's up?"

 _"Klaus escaped."_

Sera froze. "What? How?"

 _"He came up from behind and snapped my neck."_

"You're lucky he didn't dagger you again," Sera said. "How could you let him do that?"

 _"I didn't let him. We started fighting beforehand and then he managed to get me. You know, it really doesn't matter. What matters is that you need to be on your guard. He's going to come after your family."_

Sera swore under her breath as her phone started buzzing again. She looked at the name of the incoming caller and her heart started beating faster. "Guess who's calling me right now."

 _"Sera, be careful."_

"I've got to go. Find my dad and uncle. Tell them what's going on." Sera ended the call with Rebekah and switched to the one from Klaus. "Klaus, what have you done?"

 _"What is necessary. Your father is holding our family hostage and won't return them to me. So, I am holding a member of his family hostage until he decides to cooperate."_

"Xavier…" Sera said, softly.

Klaus laughed. _"Precisely."_

"Klaus, don't do this," Sera said. "Let him go."

 _"Only when I have the coffins."_

Sera gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes when screams started coming from somewhere in the forest. "What the hell…?"

 _"What's going on?"_

"I don't know." Sera used her Vampire Speed and raced to where the sound was coming from. She found Caroline sitting against a tree, a werewolf bite on her neck. "Oh my god! It's Caroline. She's been bitten by a werewolf." Sera closed her eyes in realization. "Tyler," she said. She shook her head and spoke to her great-uncle. "You did this, didn't you? With the sire bond."

 _"I don't know what you're talking about."_

"Enough bullshit, Klaus," Sera snapped. "You're going to fix this, aren't you?"

 _"Of course I am. I have absolutely no intention in letting her die."_

"Good," Sera said. "Get to Caroline's. She'll be there soon."

 _"Don't forget about your cousin, Love."_

"Oh, don't worry," Sera said. "I'll make sure that you pay for that soon enough." Sera hung up the phone. "Caroline," Sera said. "You're going to be ok, I promise."

"Sera," Caroline cried. "I'm scared."

"Don't be scared," Sera said, trying to soothe her. "You're going to be fine, I promise you that. We just have to get you home." Sera looked around for any sign of Matt or Elena. "Matt!" She screamed, lifting Caroline into her arms. "Elena! Caroline's been hurt!"

* * *

When Sera returned home later that night, after making sure that Caroline was safe at home with Matt and Sheriff Forbes, she was greeted by Rebekah and Stefan.

"Damon's on his way," Rebekah said. "What happened with my brother?"

"You saw Klaus tonight?" Stefan asked.

Sera shook her head. "No, I talked to him on the phone, before I found Caroline."

"Caroline?" Stefan said. "What's wrong with Caroline?"

"One problem at a time, please," Rebekah said. "What did Klaus say?"

Sera sighed, exhausted by the night's events. She opened her mouth to speak when Damon walked in. "Alright, I'm here, what's the emergency?" He stopped when he saw the serious look on Sera's face. "What happened?"

"Klaus used his sire bond with Tyler to get him to bite Caroline," Sera began. "I'm not entirely sure why, but he's going to heal her."

"Alright," Damon said. "So, that story will have its happy ending. Doesn't explain what the emergency is, though." He looked around, just realizing that his son wasn't in the room. "Where's Xavier? With Blondie?"

Sera shook her head. "Klaus has him."

Rebekah stiffened as Stefan put his head in his hands and Damon took a couple of steps closer to his niece. "Excuse me?"

"Xavier is Klaus's hostage," Sera said. "And, to get him back, we need to hand over the coffins."

Damon blinked a couple of times before closing them entirely. After a moment or two, he opened them again, the whites of his eyes blood red. He turned a deadly glare onto his brother and, rushing at him with Vampire Speed, threw him crashing into the wall.

* * *

 **First, I would like to apologize for the unexpected hiatus. But, it did allow me to do some thinking about where I would like this story and series to go!**

 **I will admit that this story isn't going exactly how I thought it would when I initially started writing it. I found that all of the significant changes I wanted to make to the show's plot lines were going to be happening in future seasons/stories (starting around the end of Season 5, to be honest) rather than this one. So, I am going to try and make more changes happen before I get to the ones that I already had planned for the future, and I already have a few ideas brewing that might help with that and that I really am enjoying exploring. I actually have a prequel story in the works that changes Stefan's past pre-vampire a bit that I am really looking forward to sharing with you all! So, changes will be coming, they are just going to take a little extra time to develop!**

 **That being said, I hope that you enjoyed this new chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


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